<p>The former US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>, who has recently been acquitted in his second impeachment trial, has turned against the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell.</p>

<p>Taking about the impeachment trial, McConnell said Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for the US Capitol riots.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/independent-911-style-commission-needed-to-investigate-trump-and-capitol-riots-pelosi-363900" hreflang="en">'Independent, 9/11-style commission' needed to investigate Trump and Capitol riots: Pelosi</a></strong></p>

<p>"There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility," McConnell wrote in an op-ed for Wall Street Journal on Monday. "His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world's largest megaphone. His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended."</p>

<p>This has angered Trump, who is known to be a sore loser. "The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm," he said in a statement released by his political action committee.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/toings-froings-and-kerfuffle-uk-pm-boris-johnson-reacts-to-trumps-impeachment-trial-363685" hreflang="en">'Toings, froings and kerfuffle': UK PM Boris Johnson reacts to Trump's impeachment trial</a></strong></p>

<p>The defeated former President did not stop at that, and continued name-calling McConnell — one of the many things he is infamous for.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again," he said in his statement. "He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership."</p>

<p>Calling him a 'third rate' leader, Trump said he regrets supporting McConnell when he 'begged' for help in Kentucky during the US election 2020.</p>

<p>"This is a big moment for our country, and we cannot let it pass by using third rate 'leaders' to dictate our future!," Trump said.</p>


The former US President Donald Trump, who has recently been acquitted in his second impeachment trial, has turned against the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell.

The former US President Donald Trump, who has recently been acquitted in his second impeachment trial, has turned against the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell. Taking about the impeachment trial, McConnell said Trump was "practically and morally responsible" for the US Capitol riots. Also read| 'Independent, 9/11-style commission' needed to investigate Trump and Capitol riots: Pelosi "There is no question former President Trump bears moral responsibility," McConnell wrote in an op-ed for Wall Street Journal on Monday. "His supporters stormed the Capitol because of the unhinged falsehoods he shouted into the world's largest megaphone. His behavior during and after the chaos was also unconscionable, from attacking Vice President Mike Pence during the riot to praising the criminals after it ended." This has angered Trump, who is known to be a sore loser. "The Republican Party can never again be respected or strong with political ‘leaders’ like Sen. Mitch McConnell at its helm," he said in a statement released by his political action committee. Also read| 'Toings, froings and kerfuffle': UK PM Boris Johnson reacts to Trump's impeachment trial The defeated former President did not stop at that, and continued name-calling McConnell — one of the many things he is infamous for. "Mitch is a dour, sullen, and unsmiling political hack, and if Republican Senators are going to stay with him, they will not win again," he said in his statement. "He will never do what needs to be done, or what is right for our Country. Where necessary and appropriate, I will back primary rivals who espouse Making America Great Again and our policy of America First. We want brilliant, strong, thoughtful, and compassionate leadership." Calling him a 'third rate' leader, Trump said he regrets supporting McConnell when he 'begged' for help in Kentucky during the US election 2020. "This is a big moment for our country, and we cannot let it pass by using third rate 'leaders' to dictate our future!," Trump said.

'Unsmiling political hack': Trump lashes out at Mitch McConnell after impeachment trial

<p>Call it a coincidence or prediction, but popular sitcom 'The Simpsons' seemed to have envisioned US Vice President Kamala Harris' symbolic purple outfit 21 years ago in one of the episodes.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
On January 20, <strong>Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' swearing-in ceremony</strong> became the most-watched inauguration ceremony in the world. Harris became the first woman, south Asian and Black vice president of America.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
For the historic day, Harris chose a purple dress and coat designed by two black designers. Her outfit was symbolic and a nod to nod to Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman to run for US President as part of the Democratic party and the colour symbolised the women's suffragette movement.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
While many feel that Harris outfit will go down in history as one of the most iconic dresses worn by a leader, it seems 'The Simpsons' already predicted the outfit- 21 years ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Some fans on Twitter pointed out that Kamala's outfit was eerily similar to The Simpsons' character, Lisa's outfit from an episode that aired two decades ago.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/did-the-simpsons-forecast-us-capitol-riots-more-predictions-inside-278321">Also read: All the predictions that have been made in 'The Simpsons'</a></p>

<p>In Episode 17 of Season 11 of the show - 'Bart to the Future', Lisa Simpson becomes the first female President of the United States. On her first day at the White House, the grown-up Lisa can be seen wearing the exact same outfit as Haaris did on Wednesday. A purple dress with a coat and a string of pearls around her neck!</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="et">Kamala Harris &amp; Lisa Simpson<br />
Same vibe: <a href="https://t.co/wrHDyd0qd8">pic.twitter.com/wrHDyd0qd8</a></p>
— León Staines Díaz (@Leon_Staines) <a href="https://twitter.com/Leon_Staines/status/1351962945148907521?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/KamalaHarris?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#KamalaHarris</a> reminds me with Lisa Simpson... almost same outfit <a href="https://t.co/wTySY9Eibl">pic.twitter.com/wTySY9Eibl</a></p>
— ₘₑₘₒᵣᵢₑₛ🦋 (@butterflymem0ry) <a href="https://twitter.com/butterflymem0ry/status/1351931268661972996?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">THE SIMPSONS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!!! <a href="https://t.co/iByO67Awq5">pic.twitter.com/iByO67Awq5</a></p>
— moon (@SWlTCHPOSlTIONS) <a href="https://twitter.com/SWlTCHPOSlTIONS/status/1352006198393004035?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Yeah, everything that ever will be has already been on “The Simpsons”. But this is a bit on the nose. <a href="https://t.co/SOHKyIzHjn">pic.twitter.com/SOHKyIzHjn</a></p>
— Phil Hagen (@PhilHagen) <a href="https://twitter.com/PhilHagen/status/1352103501296500737?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 21, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Not just this, but this particular episode had also predicted Donald Trump's presidency. According to a New York Post, the episode even showed how Trump's presidency would end. In fact, Lisa takes over the post after Donald Trump. In the episode, Lisa tells her advisors that her administration has been left with quite a budget crunch by her predecessor, Trump.<br />
<br />
This is not the first time that 'The Simpsons' have predicted the future on several occasions including the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/did-the-simpsons-predict-the-us-capitol-hill-riots-the-internet-seems-to-think-so-355151">recent Capitol Hill violence,</a> the coronavirus pandemic and more.&nbsp;</p>


Call it a coincidence or prediction, but popular sitcom 'The Simpsons' seemed to have envisioned US Vice President Kamala Harris' symbolic purple outfit 21 years ago in one of the episodes.

Call it a coincidence or prediction, but popular sitcom 'The Simpsons' seemed to have envisioned US Vice President Kamala Harris' symbolic purple outfit 21 years ago in one of the episodes. On January 20, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris' swearing-in ceremony became the most-watched inauguration ceremony in the world. Harris became the first woman, south Asian and Black vice president of America. For the historic day, Harris chose a purple dress and coat designed by two black designers. Her outfit was symbolic and a nod to nod to Shirley Chisholm, who was the first black woman to run for US President as part of the Democratic party and the colour symbolised the women's suffragette movement. While many feel that Harris outfit will go down in history as one of the most iconic dresses worn by a leader, it seems 'The Simpsons' already predicted the outfit- 21 years ago. Some fans on Twitter pointed out that Kamala's outfit was eerily similar to The Simpsons' character, Lisa's outfit from an episode that aired two decades ago. Also read: All the predictions that have been made in 'The Simpsons' In Episode 17 of Season 11 of the show - 'Bart to the Future', Lisa Simpson becomes the first female President of the United States. On her first day at the White House, the grown-up Lisa can be seen wearing the exact same outfit as Haaris did on Wednesday. A purple dress with a coat and a string of pearls around her neck! Kamala Harris & Lisa Simpson Same vibe: pic.twitter.com/wrHDyd0qd8 — León Staines Díaz (@Leon_Staines) January 20, 2021 × #KamalaHarris reminds me with Lisa Simpson... almost same outfit pic.twitter.com/wTySY9Eibl — ₘₑₘₒᵣᵢₑₛ🦋 (@butterflymem0ry) January 20, 2021 × THE SIMPSONS HAVE DONE IT AGAIN!!!! pic.twitter.com/iByO67Awq5 — moon (@SWlTCHPOSlTIONS) January 20, 2021 × Yeah, everything that ever will be has already been on “The Simpsons”. But this is a bit on the nose. pic.twitter.com/SOHKyIzHjn — Phil Hagen (@PhilHagen) January 21, 2021 × Not just this, but this particular episode had also predicted Donald Trump's presidency. According to a New York Post, the episode even showed how Trump's presidency would end. In fact, Lisa takes over the post after Donald Trump. In the episode, Lisa tells her advisors that her administration has been left with quite a budget crunch by her predecessor, Trump. This is not the first time that 'The Simpsons' have predicted the future on several occasions including the recent Capitol Hill violence, the coronavirus pandemic and more.

'The Simpsons' had predicted Kamala Harris' inaugural purple outfit 21 years ago. Here's proof

<p>Private social audio app&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US&nbsp;app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics.</p>

<p>Clubhouse&nbsp;built a following among venture capitalists and startup founders gossiping in its audio-only chatrooms following its launch last March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world.</p>

<p>Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly censored to weed out content that could undermine the ruling communist party.</p>

<p>The&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;app, launched in early 2020, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform.</p>

<p>Its chat rooms are only accessible via invites from current members, and as of Sunday, invites to the platform were selling for between 50-400 yuan ($7.73 - $69.59) on popular Chinese e-commerce sites.</p>

<p>Reuters directly observed several Chinese-language 'club' conversations where thousands of users listened to wide-ranging audio discussions covering topics including Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong's National Security Law.</p>

<p>China's cyber authorities have become increasingly strict in recent years, widening the scope of apps, media outlets and social media sites banned in the country.</p>

<p>While&nbsp;Clubhouse&nbsp;remains uncensored, it is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store, both major barriers for its widespread use in China.</p>

<p>Mainland Chinese users can access the app by modifying the location of their app store.</p>

<p>It's unclear why the app remains unblocked in China, though some foreign social sites with small Chinese followings manage to operate under the radar of censors, including 8kun, a central hub for QAnon followers.</p>

<p>In one club chat centred on Hong Kong politics, activists, journalists and artists discussed former US&nbsp;president Trump and his support base in the former colony.</p>

<p>Another popular Chinese language club on the site as of Saturday involved a rare open exchange between netizens in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over heightened political tensions in the region.</p>

<p>The discussion became a hot topic on China's own Twitter-like social media site Weibo on Saturday.</p>

<p>"I don't know how long this environment can last", said one user in a popular Weibo post that was liked over 65,000 times. "But I will definitely remember this moment in Internet history."</p>


Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics.

Private social audio app Clubhouse is attracting masses of new users from mainland China, where the US app remains uncensored by authorities despite flourishing discussions on rights, national identity and other sensitive topics. Clubhouse built a following among venture capitalists and startup founders gossiping in its audio-only chatrooms following its launch last March as the COVID-19 pandemic spread around the world. Western social media apps including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube are banned in China, where the local internet is tightly censored to weed out content that could undermine the ruling communist party. The Clubhouse app, launched in early 2020, saw explosive growth in user numbers earlier this month after Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev held a surprise discussion on the platform. Its chat rooms are only accessible via invites from current members, and as of Sunday, invites to the platform were selling for between 50-400 yuan ($7.73 - $69.59) on popular Chinese e-commerce sites. Reuters directly observed several Chinese-language 'club' conversations where thousands of users listened to wide-ranging audio discussions covering topics including Xinjiang detention camps, Taiwan independence and Hong Kong's National Security Law. China's cyber authorities have become increasingly strict in recent years, widening the scope of apps, media outlets and social media sites banned in the country. While Clubhouse remains uncensored, it is only available on iOS devices and is unavailable in the local Apple app store, both major barriers for its widespread use in China. Mainland Chinese users can access the app by modifying the location of their app store. It's unclear why the app remains unblocked in China, though some foreign social sites with small Chinese followings manage to operate under the radar of censors, including 8kun, a central hub for QAnon followers. In one club chat centred on Hong Kong politics, activists, journalists and artists discussed former US president Trump and his support base in the former colony. Another popular Chinese language club on the site as of Saturday involved a rare open exchange between netizens in mainland China, Taiwan and Hong Kong over heightened political tensions in the region. The discussion became a hot topic on China's own Twitter-like social media site Weibo on Saturday. "I don't know how long this environment can last", said one user in a popular Weibo post that was liked over 65,000 times. "But I will definitely remember this moment in Internet history."

Chinese users flocking to US chat app Clubhouse to evade censors

<p>Iran has agreed to free the 19-member crew of a seized South Korea-flagged ship, both countries said Tuesday, in what appeared to be the first significant gesture by the Iranians to de-escalate the problem since impounding the vessel a month ago.</p>

<p>The Iranian move may also have been intended to send an indirect signal to the Biden administration, which has indicated it wants to avoid a further deterioration in relations with Iran after they worsened sharply under former President Donald Trump.</p>

<p>In return for the release of the crew, the South Korean government said it had pledged speedy action to address Iran’s complaints about its inability to access $7 billion in Iranian money that has been frozen in South Korean banks because of U.S. sanctions reimposed by Trump.</p>

<p>It was not immediately clear from the announcement when the crew members would be released. Iran said the ship and its captain would remain in its custody, pending an investigation into what the Iranians have described as violations of maritime pollution law, the original reason they gave for having seized the vessel.</p>

<p>Laden with 7,200 tons of chemicals, the ship, the Hankuk Chemi, was taken into custody by Iran's Revolutionary Guard during a patrol in the Persian Gulf on Jan. 4. South Korea strongly protested the seizure, and the ship’s owner called Iran’s accusations absurd.</p>

<p>It soon became clear that Iran had taken custody of the ship at least in part to pressure South Korea, a strong U.S. ally, over the sanctions ordered by Trump after he renounced the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and major world powers. Those sanctions included blocking Iran’s access to billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenue deposited in foreign banks.</p>

<p>Iran began disregarding its commitments under the nuclear agreement in response to Trump’s actions, and has threatened further steps that include possibly blocking international inspectors from visiting nuclear sites.</p>

<p>While President Joe Biden has said he wants to rejoin the nuclear agreement if Iran resumes compliance, Iran has said the United States must drop the sanctions first. Neither side has publicly shown an immediate willingness to find a diplomatic solution.</p>

<p>But Iran’s agreement to free the South Korean ship’s crew, which Saeed Khatibzadeh, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, described as a humanitarian gesture, appeared intended to portray some measure of flexibility on sanctions-related issues.</p>

<p>“This may be a signal to show a willingness to resume discussions or at the least take the tensions down a notch, and perhaps to open the door for South Korea releasing seized Iranian assets,” said Farhad Alavi, a partner at Akrivis Law Group, a Washington firm that specializes in sanctions law.</p>

<p>“Similarly, I would not be surprised if President Biden lifts or suspends some less sensitive or perhaps more political Trump-era sanctions in the coming weeks or months — something more symbolic than substantial,” Alavi said.</p>

<p>There was no immediate comment from the Biden administration on the news about the South Korean crew members.</p>

<p>South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move to free the crew members came during a telephone conversation on Tuesday between Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and his South Korean counterpart, Choi Jong-kun.</p>

<p>The crew includes four South Koreans, and the other members are Burmese, Vietnamese and Indonesian, the statement said.</p>

<p>Choi welcomed the Iranian decision and urged the Iranian government to release the captain and the ship as well.</p>

<p>During his telephone conversation with Araghchi, Choi promised “speedy” action to help address Iran’s grievances over the $7 billion in impounded funds.</p>

<p>Choi also told Araghchi that South Korea would consult U.S. officials in Washington over the matter, the ministry said.</p>


Iran has agreed to free the 19-member crew of a seized South Korea-flagged ship, both countries said Tuesday, in what appeared to be the first significant gesture by the Iranians to de-escalate the problem since impounding the vessel a month ago.

Iran has agreed to free the 19-member crew of a seized South Korea-flagged ship, both countries said Tuesday, in what appeared to be the first significant gesture by the Iranians to de-escalate the problem since impounding the vessel a month ago. The Iranian move may also have been intended to send an indirect signal to the Biden administration, which has indicated it wants to avoid a further deterioration in relations with Iran after they worsened sharply under former President Donald Trump. In return for the release of the crew, the South Korean government said it had pledged speedy action to address Iran’s complaints about its inability to access $7 billion in Iranian money that has been frozen in South Korean banks because of U.S. sanctions reimposed by Trump. It was not immediately clear from the announcement when the crew members would be released. Iran said the ship and its captain would remain in its custody, pending an investigation into what the Iranians have described as violations of maritime pollution law, the original reason they gave for having seized the vessel. Laden with 7,200 tons of chemicals, the ship, the Hankuk Chemi, was taken into custody by Iran's Revolutionary Guard during a patrol in the Persian Gulf on Jan. 4. South Korea strongly protested the seizure, and the ship’s owner called Iran’s accusations absurd. It soon became clear that Iran had taken custody of the ship at least in part to pressure South Korea, a strong U.S. ally, over the sanctions ordered by Trump after he renounced the 2015 nuclear accord between Iran and major world powers. Those sanctions included blocking Iran’s access to billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenue deposited in foreign banks. Iran began disregarding its commitments under the nuclear agreement in response to Trump’s actions, and has threatened further steps that include possibly blocking international inspectors from visiting nuclear sites. While President Joe Biden has said he wants to rejoin the nuclear agreement if Iran resumes compliance, Iran has said the United States must drop the sanctions first. Neither side has publicly shown an immediate willingness to find a diplomatic solution. But Iran’s agreement to free the South Korean ship’s crew, which Saeed Khatibzadeh, a Foreign Ministry spokesman, described as a humanitarian gesture, appeared intended to portray some measure of flexibility on sanctions-related issues. “This may be a signal to show a willingness to resume discussions or at the least take the tensions down a notch, and perhaps to open the door for South Korea releasing seized Iranian assets,” said Farhad Alavi, a partner at Akrivis Law Group, a Washington firm that specializes in sanctions law. “Similarly, I would not be surprised if President Biden lifts or suspends some less sensitive or perhaps more political Trump-era sanctions in the coming weeks or months — something more symbolic than substantial,” Alavi said. There was no immediate comment from the Biden administration on the news about the South Korean crew members. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement that the move to free the crew members came during a telephone conversation on Tuesday between Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, and his South Korean counterpart, Choi Jong-kun. The crew includes four South Koreans, and the other members are Burmese, Vietnamese and Indonesian, the statement said. Choi welcomed the Iranian decision and urged the Iranian government to release the captain and the ship as well. During his telephone conversation with Araghchi, Choi promised “speedy” action to help address Iran’s grievances over the $7 billion in impounded funds. Choi also told Araghchi that South Korea would consult U.S. officials in Washington over the matter, the ministry said.

Iran agrees to free South Korean ship’s crew

<p>Former US President Donald Trump&nbsp;announced Sunday that he had hired two new lawyers to head his defence team for his historic second impeachment trial.</p>

<p>Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will head the defence effort in the trial set to begin on February&nbsp;9, Trump's office said in a statement. Schoen had already been helping Trump and advisers prepare for the proceedings, according to the former president's office.</p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/donald-trumps-impeachment-defense-team-leaves-less-than-two-weeks-before-trial-360411/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, have left the defence team in what one person described as a ''mutual decision''&nbsp;that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case.&nbsp;The change injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of his defence team.</p>

<p>Trump, who left office January 20, faces trial on a charge that he incited the mob that stormed the US Capitol building in an effort to block his election loss to President Joe Biden.</p>

<p>The trial is historic both because it stems from&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;being impeached a second time during his four years in the White House, and is the first of a former United States president.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort last week to halt Trump’s impeachment trial, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign Trump will not be convicted of inciting insurrection at the Capitol.</p>

<p>The trial, in which&nbsp;Trump&nbsp;faces a charge of "incitement of insurrection" is to begin on February 9.</p>

<p>But with just five Republicans joining all 50 Democrats this week in agreeing that the trial should go forward, it appears unlikely that 17 Republicans would vote against&nbsp;Trump, the minimum number needed to reach the two-thirds threshold for conviction.</p>

<p>Schoen previously represented Trump's former adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted in November 2019 of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, weeks before leaving the office on January&nbsp;20.</p>

<p>Castor is a former Pennsylvania district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005 after a woman accused Cosby of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Cosby's accuser in the case for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career in retaliation.</p>

<p>Cosby, 83, is now serving a three-to-10-year sentence in a state prison near Philadelphia after being found guilty in a 2018 trial of drugging and raping a onetime friend at his home in 2004.</p>


Former US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had hired two new lawyers to head his defence team for his historic second impeachment trial. Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will head the defence effort in the trial set to begin on February 9, Trump's office said in a statement.

Former US President Donald Trump announced Sunday that he had hired two new lawyers to head his defence team for his historic second impeachment trial. Lawyers David Schoen and Bruce Castor will head the defence effort in the trial set to begin on February 9, Trump's office said in a statement. Schoen had already been helping Trump and advisers prepare for the proceedings, according to the former president's office. Butch Bowers and Deborah Barbier, both South Carolina lawyers, have left the defence team in what one person described as a ''mutual decision'' that reflected a difference of opinion on the direction of the case. The change injects fresh uncertainty into the makeup and strategy of his defence team. Trump, who left office January 20, faces trial on a charge that he incited the mob that stormed the US Capitol building in an effort to block his election loss to President Joe Biden. The trial is historic both because it stems from Trump being impeached a second time during his four years in the White House, and is the first of a former United States president. Forty-five Senate Republicans backed a failed effort last week to halt Trump’s impeachment trial, in a show of party unity that some cited as a clear sign Trump will not be convicted of inciting insurrection at the Capitol. The trial, in which Trump faces a charge of "incitement of insurrection" is to begin on February 9. But with just five Republicans joining all 50 Democrats this week in agreeing that the trial should go forward, it appears unlikely that 17 Republicans would vote against Trump, the minimum number needed to reach the two-thirds threshold for conviction. Schoen previously represented Trump's former adviser Roger Stone, who was convicted in November 2019 of lying under oath to lawmakers investigating Russian interference in the 2016 election. Trump pardoned Stone in December 2020, weeks before leaving the office on January 20. Castor is a former Pennsylvania district attorney known for his decision not to prosecute entertainer Bill Cosby in 2005 after a woman accused Cosby of sexual assault. In 2017, Castor sued Cosby's accuser in the case for defamation, claiming she destroyed his political career in retaliation. Cosby, 83, is now serving a three-to-10-year sentence in a state prison near Philadelphia after being found guilty in a 2018 trial of drugging and raping a onetime friend at his home in 2004.

Trump names two new lawyers to lead his impeachment defence team in Senate trial

<p>Marjorie Taylor Greene had just finished questioning whether a plane really flew into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and flatly stating that President Barack Obama was secretly Muslim when she paused to offer an aside implicating another former president in a crime.</p>

<p>“That’s another one of those Clinton murders,” Greene said, referring to John F. Kennedy Jr.’s death in a 1999 plane crash, suggesting that he had been assassinated because he was a potential rival to Hillary Clinton for a New York Senate seat.</p>

<p>Greene casually unfurled the cascade of dangerous and patently untrue conspiracy theories in a previously unreported 40-minute video that was originally posted to YouTube in 2018. It provides a window into the warped worldview amplified by the freshman Republican congresswoman from Georgia, who in the three months since she was elected has created a national brand for herself as a conservative provocateur who has proudly brought the hard-right fringe to the Capitol.</p>

<p>In the process, Greene, 46, has also created a dilemma for Republican leaders, who for months have been unwilling to publicly rebuke or punish her in any way for her inflammatory statements, in part for fear of alienating voters delighted by her incendiary brand of politics and conspiratorial beliefs.</p>

<p>After avoiding the issue for months in the hope that it would resolve itself, Republicans are now facing calls from Democrats to expel Greene from Congress, pressure from a prominent group of Jewish Republicans to discipline her, and private consternation from within their own ranks.</p>

<p>Their reticence to take action is yet another example of how Republican leaders have allowed those forces to fester and strengthen. Some leaders have privately said they are eager to move past the fringe movements and the charged messaging used by President Donald Trump that fueled the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6.</p>

<p>Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the minority leader, has yet to say anything personally about Greene’s comments or conduct, even after a week in which a slew of problematic social media posts and videos have surfaced from the years before she was elected. In them, Greene circulated and endorsed a seemingly endless array of hate speech and conspiracy theories explicitly rooted in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and the belief that government actors were secretly behind a sweeping range of violence.</p>

<p>Greene suggested in 2018 that a devastating wildfire that ravaged California was started by “a laser” beamed from space and controlled by a prominent Jewish banking family with connections to powerful Democrats. She endorsed executing Democratic lawmakers, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She served as a prolific writer for a now-defunct conspiracy blog called “American Truth Seekers,” writing posts with headlines including “MUST READ — Democratic Party Involved With Child Sex, Satanism, and The Occult.” And she argued that the 2018 midterm elections — in which the first two Muslim women were elected to the House — were part of “an Islamic invasion of our government.”</p>

<p>Greene has repeatedly claimed in multiple videos and social media posts that several school shooting massacres were “false flag” events perpetrated by government officials in an attempt to drum up support for gun control laws. In an October 2020 video surfaced Friday by Mother Jones, she said that the “only way you get your freedoms back is it’s earned with the price of blood.”</p>

<p>Greene is perhaps best known for having endorsed QAnon, the pro-Trump conspiracy movement that claims that Trump was facing down a shadowy cabal of Democratic pedophiles. (She told Fox News last year that she “chose a different path,” and a spokesman, Nick Dyer, told The New York Times this week that she did not support QAnon.)</p>

<p>Sent a list of detailed questions about her beliefs and postings, Dyer declined to respond to any of them. In her own statement posted on Twitter on Friday afternoon, Greene assailed the “radical, left-wing Democrat mob” and reporters she said were trying to smear her, and claimed she was profiting politically and financially from the outrage she has provoked, saying that every negative news report “strengthens my base of support at home and across the country.”</p>

<p>She also issued what amounted to a threat to top Republicans who might be contemplating punishing her, warning that they would pay steep consequences.</p>

<p>“If Republicans cower to the mob, and let the Democrats and the fake news media take me out,” Greene said, “they’re opening the door to come after every single Republican until there’s none left.”</p>

<p>The statement came as internal pressure was mounting for Republican leaders to address Greene’s comments. The Republican Jewish Coalition, which over the summer intervened in a rare move to back Greene’s primary challenger, disavowed the congresswoman in a scathing statement and said it was “working closely with the House Republican leadership regarding next steps.”</p>

<p>“She repeatedly used offensive language in long online video diatribes, promoted bizarre political conspiracy theories, and refused to admit a mistake after posing for photos with a longtime white supremacist leader,” the group said. “It is unfortunate that she prevailed in her election despite this terrible record.”</p>

<p>A spokesman for McCarthy told Axios this week that newly surfaced Facebook posts written by Greene and reported by CNN, in which she discussed executing top Democratic politicians, were “deeply disturbing” and that McCarthy planned to “have a conversation” with her about them next week.</p>

<p>But McCarthy’s silence so far reflects, in part, the sway Trump still has over the Republican Party and its leaders. The former president has praised Greene effusively and refused to condemn QAnon, despite being asked to disavow it repeatedly while in office.</p>

<p>On Friday evening, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., chair of the House Rules Committee, suggested Democrats could move unilaterally to strip Greene of her committees if Republicans did not act.</p>

<p>“We could break precedent,” McGovern said on CNN. “We should talk about that if nothing changes.”</p>

<p>In her own telling, Greene became more outspoken about her politics in 2016 after she sold the CrossFit gym she owned and felt she no longer needed to worry about alienating her customers by stating her beliefs.</p>

<p>She began traveling to Washington for conservative events, including a prayer rally hosted by the White House, and to lobby lawmakers against passing gun safety measures. On one such trip, Greene accosted David Hogg, a student who had survived a 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, who was also on Capitol Hill, but to lobby in support of stricter gun laws. In a video that CNN unearthed this week, Greene follows Hogg as he walks toward the Capitol, calling him a “coward” and accusing him of “using kids” to promote his own political agenda.</p>

<p>When Greene decided to run for Congress, she initially started her campaign in a Georgia district held by Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat. But after Rep. Tom Graves, a Republican, announced he would retire, Greene moved her campaign to his more conservative district. She eventually placed first in a crowded primary race and advanced to a runoff election against Dr. John Cowan, a mild-mannered neurosurgeon.</p>

<p>On the campaign trail, Greene presented herself as a deeply conservative, pro-Trump Christian mother and business owner, arguing that her work in the construction industry had imbued her with the toughness that comes from working in a male-dominated field. She railed against the ascendant progressive wing in Congress, emphasized the importance of the Second Amendment while toting an AR-15, and warned of “thousands” of immigrants “pouring over” the southwestern border.</p>

<p>Greene largely veered away from the conspiratorial on the trail, though she did cut a campaign ad claiming that “‘Deep State’ actors tried to sabotage President Donald J. Trump before he even took office” and claimed on her campaign accounts that George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic donor, was “bankrolling left-wing movements worldwide who want to destroy Israel.”</p>

<p>The messaging raised alarm at the time among House Republican leaders and some members of the Georgia delegation who worried that if elected, Greene could create a grave problem for their party. But they never mobilized to defeat her.</p>

<p>While the top three House Republicans condemned a series of racist videos Greene made, surfaced by Politico, only Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 Republican, endorsed Cowan. McCarthy and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking leader, stayed neutral.</p>

<p>Privately, according to a person familiar with their thinking, top Republicans hoped that outside groups would swoop into the primary race in support of Cowan and weaponize Greene’s incendiary comments against her, dooming her candidacy. But the outside effort never materialized.</p>

<p>Instead, Greene’s campaign received an important boost when the political arm of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus endorsed her, as did Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, the group’s chairman, and Jim Jordan of Ohio, a founder. She handily won the runoff in August and cruised to victory in November.</p>

<p>That left Republican leaders hoping that, once sworn in, Greene would clean up her act, disavowing her past comments and dialing back her outlandish rhetoric.</p>

<p>Instead, she charged into Congress and immediately faced scrutiny for her support of the “Stop the Steal” campaign that falsely claimed that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election.</p>

<p>She referred to Jan. 6, the day Congress was slated to formalize the election results, as Republicans’ “1776 moment” in the lead up to the violent storming of the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters. After the rampage, she pledged that Trump would “remain in office” and that attempts to remove him from the White House constituted “an attack on every American who voted for him.”</p>

<p>Days later, she announced she would file articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden.</p>

<p>“Troll level: EXPERT,” Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing firebrand, wrote on Twitter.</p>

<p>Greene liked the post.</p>


Marjorie Taylor Greene had just finished questioning whether a plane really flew into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and flatly stating that President Barack Obama was secretly Muslim when she paused to offer an aside implicating another former president in a crime.

Marjorie Taylor Greene had just finished questioning whether a plane really flew into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, and flatly stating that President Barack Obama was secretly Muslim when she paused to offer an aside implicating another former president in a crime. “That’s another one of those Clinton murders,” Greene said, referring to John F. Kennedy Jr.’s death in a 1999 plane crash, suggesting that he had been assassinated because he was a potential rival to Hillary Clinton for a New York Senate seat. Greene casually unfurled the cascade of dangerous and patently untrue conspiracy theories in a previously unreported 40-minute video that was originally posted to YouTube in 2018. It provides a window into the warped worldview amplified by the freshman Republican congresswoman from Georgia, who in the three months since she was elected has created a national brand for herself as a conservative provocateur who has proudly brought the hard-right fringe to the Capitol. In the process, Greene, 46, has also created a dilemma for Republican leaders, who for months have been unwilling to publicly rebuke or punish her in any way for her inflammatory statements, in part for fear of alienating voters delighted by her incendiary brand of politics and conspiratorial beliefs. After avoiding the issue for months in the hope that it would resolve itself, Republicans are now facing calls from Democrats to expel Greene from Congress, pressure from a prominent group of Jewish Republicans to discipline her, and private consternation from within their own ranks. Their reticence to take action is yet another example of how Republican leaders have allowed those forces to fester and strengthen. Some leaders have privately said they are eager to move past the fringe movements and the charged messaging used by President Donald Trump that fueled the assault on the Capitol on Jan. 6. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the minority leader, has yet to say anything personally about Greene’s comments or conduct, even after a week in which a slew of problematic social media posts and videos have surfaced from the years before she was elected. In them, Greene circulated and endorsed a seemingly endless array of hate speech and conspiracy theories explicitly rooted in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism and the belief that government actors were secretly behind a sweeping range of violence. Greene suggested in 2018 that a devastating wildfire that ravaged California was started by “a laser” beamed from space and controlled by a prominent Jewish banking family with connections to powerful Democrats. She endorsed executing Democratic lawmakers, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi. She served as a prolific writer for a now-defunct conspiracy blog called “American Truth Seekers,” writing posts with headlines including “MUST READ — Democratic Party Involved With Child Sex, Satanism, and The Occult.” And she argued that the 2018 midterm elections — in which the first two Muslim women were elected to the House — were part of “an Islamic invasion of our government.” Greene has repeatedly claimed in multiple videos and social media posts that several school shooting massacres were “false flag” events perpetrated by government officials in an attempt to drum up support for gun control laws. In an October 2020 video surfaced Friday by Mother Jones, she said that the “only way you get your freedoms back is it’s earned with the price of blood.” Greene is perhaps best known for having endorsed QAnon, the pro-Trump conspiracy movement that claims that Trump was facing down a shadowy cabal of Democratic pedophiles. (She told Fox News last year that she “chose a different path,” and a spokesman, Nick Dyer, told The New York Times this week that she did not support QAnon.) Sent a list of detailed questions about her beliefs and postings, Dyer declined to respond to any of them. In her own statement posted on Twitter on Friday afternoon, Greene assailed the “radical, left-wing Democrat mob” and reporters she said were trying to smear her, and claimed she was profiting politically and financially from the outrage she has provoked, saying that every negative news report “strengthens my base of support at home and across the country.” She also issued what amounted to a threat to top Republicans who might be contemplating punishing her, warning that they would pay steep consequences. “If Republicans cower to the mob, and let the Democrats and the fake news media take me out,” Greene said, “they’re opening the door to come after every single Republican until there’s none left.” The statement came as internal pressure was mounting for Republican leaders to address Greene’s comments. The Republican Jewish Coalition, which over the summer intervened in a rare move to back Greene’s primary challenger, disavowed the congresswoman in a scathing statement and said it was “working closely with the House Republican leadership regarding next steps.” “She repeatedly used offensive language in long online video diatribes, promoted bizarre political conspiracy theories, and refused to admit a mistake after posing for photos with a longtime white supremacist leader,” the group said. “It is unfortunate that she prevailed in her election despite this terrible record.” A spokesman for McCarthy told Axios this week that newly surfaced Facebook posts written by Greene and reported by CNN, in which she discussed executing top Democratic politicians, were “deeply disturbing” and that McCarthy planned to “have a conversation” with her about them next week. But McCarthy’s silence so far reflects, in part, the sway Trump still has over the Republican Party and its leaders. The former president has praised Greene effusively and refused to condemn QAnon, despite being asked to disavow it repeatedly while in office. On Friday evening, Rep. Jim McGovern, D-Mass., chair of the House Rules Committee, suggested Democrats could move unilaterally to strip Greene of her committees if Republicans did not act. “We could break precedent,” McGovern said on CNN. “We should talk about that if nothing changes.” In her own telling, Greene became more outspoken about her politics in 2016 after she sold the CrossFit gym she owned and felt she no longer needed to worry about alienating her customers by stating her beliefs. She began traveling to Washington for conservative events, including a prayer rally hosted by the White House, and to lobby lawmakers against passing gun safety measures. On one such trip, Greene accosted David Hogg, a student who had survived a 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, who was also on Capitol Hill, but to lobby in support of stricter gun laws. In a video that CNN unearthed this week, Greene follows Hogg as he walks toward the Capitol, calling him a “coward” and accusing him of “using kids” to promote his own political agenda. When Greene decided to run for Congress, she initially started her campaign in a Georgia district held by Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat. But after Rep. Tom Graves, a Republican, announced he would retire, Greene moved her campaign to his more conservative district. She eventually placed first in a crowded primary race and advanced to a runoff election against Dr. John Cowan, a mild-mannered neurosurgeon. On the campaign trail, Greene presented herself as a deeply conservative, pro-Trump Christian mother and business owner, arguing that her work in the construction industry had imbued her with the toughness that comes from working in a male-dominated field. She railed against the ascendant progressive wing in Congress, emphasized the importance of the Second Amendment while toting an AR-15, and warned of “thousands” of immigrants “pouring over” the southwestern border. Greene largely veered away from the conspiratorial on the trail, though she did cut a campaign ad claiming that “‘Deep State’ actors tried to sabotage President Donald J. Trump before he even took office” and claimed on her campaign accounts that George Soros, the billionaire investor and Democratic donor, was “bankrolling left-wing movements worldwide who want to destroy Israel.” The messaging raised alarm at the time among House Republican leaders and some members of the Georgia delegation who worried that if elected, Greene could create a grave problem for their party. But they never mobilized to defeat her. While the top three House Republicans condemned a series of racist videos Greene made, surfaced by Politico, only Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana, the No. 2 Republican, endorsed Cowan. McCarthy and Rep. Liz Cheney of Wyoming, the third-ranking leader, stayed neutral. Privately, according to a person familiar with their thinking, top Republicans hoped that outside groups would swoop into the primary race in support of Cowan and weaponize Greene’s incendiary comments against her, dooming her candidacy. But the outside effort never materialized. Instead, Greene’s campaign received an important boost when the political arm of the ultraconservative Freedom Caucus endorsed her, as did Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, the group’s chairman, and Jim Jordan of Ohio, a founder. She handily won the runoff in August and cruised to victory in November. That left Republican leaders hoping that, once sworn in, Greene would clean up her act, disavowing her past comments and dialing back her outlandish rhetoric. Instead, she charged into Congress and immediately faced scrutiny for her support of the “Stop the Steal” campaign that falsely claimed that Trump had won the 2020 presidential election. She referred to Jan. 6, the day Congress was slated to formalize the election results, as Republicans’ “1776 moment” in the lead up to the violent storming of the Capitol by pro-Trump rioters. After the rampage, she pledged that Trump would “remain in office” and that attempts to remove him from the White House constituted “an attack on every American who voted for him.” Days later, she announced she would file articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden. “Troll level: EXPERT,” Dinesh D’Souza, a right-wing firebrand, wrote on Twitter. Greene liked the post.

GOP quiet as pressure mounts to address lawmaker’s conspiracy claims

<p>Roughly 40 million people watched live coverage of Democrat Joe Biden`s inauguration as US&nbsp;president on six TV networks, according to Nielsen data released on Thursday, a 4% increase over the number that tuned in for Donald Trump`s swearing-in four years ago.<br />
<br />
The figure covers the 30-minute span starting at 11:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday when Biden took the oath of office and delivered his inaugural address from the US&nbsp;Capitol. It includes the audience on broadcasters ABC, CBS and NBC and cable channels Fox News, CNN and MSNBC.<br />
<br />
In 2017, about 38.3 million people watched Republican Trump`s inauguration and speech on those networks. The swearing-in of Democrat Barack Obama in 2009 as the first Black U.S. president drew 51.2 million viewers.<br />
<br />
Biden, Obama`s vice president, became the 46th US&nbsp;president on Wednesday in a ceremony that included performances by Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks. Kamala Harris made history as she became the first Black person, first woman and first Asian American to serve as vice president.<br />
<br />
The TV viewing figures do not capture people who tuned in via digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube that streamed the event live, or others who watched on television at places outside of their homes such as bars and restaurants.</p>

<p>Updated figures are expected in the coming days.</p>

<p>CNN, owned by AT&amp;T Inc, led all networks with nearly 10 million viewers of Biden`s ceremony. Walt Disney Co`s ABC finished second. Fox Corp`s Fox News Channel ranked last among the six major networks with 2.8 million viewers.<br />
<br />
The ranking reflected a reversal from four years ago. Fox News, which is popular with conservative viewers, topped all networks for Trump`s swearing-in with 11.8 million viewers, an Inauguration Day record for a single network. CNN ranked fifth at the time with 3.4 million.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Roughly 40 million people watched live coverage of Democrat Joe Biden`s inauguration as US president on six TV networks, according to Nielsen data released on Thursday, a 4% increase over the number that tuned in for Donald Trump`s swearing-in four years ago.

Roughly 40 million people watched live coverage of Democrat Joe Biden`s inauguration as US president on six TV networks, according to Nielsen data released on Thursday, a 4% increase over the number that tuned in for Donald Trump`s swearing-in four years ago. The figure covers the 30-minute span starting at 11:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday when Biden took the oath of office and delivered his inaugural address from the US Capitol. It includes the audience on broadcasters ABC, CBS and NBC and cable channels Fox News, CNN and MSNBC. In 2017, about 38.3 million people watched Republican Trump`s inauguration and speech on those networks. The swearing-in of Democrat Barack Obama in 2009 as the first Black U.S. president drew 51.2 million viewers. Biden, Obama`s vice president, became the 46th US president on Wednesday in a ceremony that included performances by Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks. Kamala Harris made history as she became the first Black person, first woman and first Asian American to serve as vice president. The TV viewing figures do not capture people who tuned in via digital platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube that streamed the event live, or others who watched on television at places outside of their homes such as bars and restaurants. Updated figures are expected in the coming days. CNN, owned by AT&T Inc, led all networks with nearly 10 million viewers of Biden`s ceremony. Walt Disney Co`s ABC finished second. Fox Corp`s Fox News Channel ranked last among the six major networks with 2.8 million viewers. The ranking reflected a reversal from four years ago. Fox News, which is popular with conservative viewers, topped all networks for Trump`s swearing-in with 11.8 million viewers, an Inauguration Day record for a single network. CNN ranked fifth at the time with 3.4 million.

TV audience for Joe Biden inauguration tops Donald Trump's viewership four years earlier

<p>Iran President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday welcomed what he called was end to 'tyrant' Donald Trump's rule. Rouhani said that the ball was "in America's court" in order to return to landmark nuclear deal. On Wednesday, Joe Biden took oath to become 46th President of the United States of America. Biden has showed a willingness to engage with Iran again. Donald Trump had taken America out of the landmark nuclear deal struck with Iran by USA and other global powers.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Rouhani labelled Trump "someone for whom all of his four years bore no fruit other than injustice and corruption and causing problems for his own people and the world". Former US President Donald Trump had adopted the strategy of "maximum pressure" against Iran.<br />
&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;<br />
The sanctions targeted Iran's vital oil sales and international banking ties, plunging its economy into a deep recession.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/latest-joe-biden-oath-today-kamala-harris-news-us-inauguration-day-2021-live-updates-joe-biden-oath-ceremony-today-donald-trump-leave-white-house-vice-president-elect-kamala-harris-us-president-joe-biden-swearing-in-ceremony-oath-day-357872"><strong>Click here for LIVE updates</strong></a></p>

<p>Biden was vice-president under Barack Obama when nuclear deal with Iran was struck. The deal imposed clear limits on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions. Since 2019, Tehran has suspended its compliance with most of the limits set by the agreement in response to Washington's abandonment of the deal under Obama.</p>

<p>Rouhani said Trump's political career had "died ... but the JCPOA is alive," referring to the agreement's official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"He did all he could to destroy the JCPOA but could not.</p>

<p>"We expect (the Biden administration) to return to law and to commitments, and try in the next four years, if they can, to remove the stains of the past four years," he added.</p>

<p>Biden's pick for secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, said at a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that Trump's policies had made Iran "more dangerous".</p>

<p>Blinken confirmed Biden's desire for Washington to return to the nuclear agreement, but said that was conditional on Tehran's return to strict compliance with its commitments.</p>

<p><strong>(With AFP inputs)</strong></p>


Iran President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday welcomed what he called was end to 'tyrant' Donald Trump's rule. Rouhani said that the ball was "in America's court" in order to return to landmark nuclear deal.

Iran President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday welcomed what he called was end to 'tyrant' Donald Trump's rule. Rouhani said that the ball was "in America's court" in order to return to landmark nuclear deal. On Wednesday, Joe Biden took oath to become 46th President of the United States of America. Biden has showed a willingness to engage with Iran again. Donald Trump had taken America out of the landmark nuclear deal struck with Iran by USA and other global powers. Rouhani labelled Trump "someone for whom all of his four years bore no fruit other than injustice and corruption and causing problems for his own people and the world". Former US President Donald Trump had adopted the strategy of "maximum pressure" against Iran. The sanctions targeted Iran's vital oil sales and international banking ties, plunging its economy into a deep recession. Click here for LIVE updates Biden was vice-president under Barack Obama when nuclear deal with Iran was struck. The deal imposed clear limits on Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for relief from international sanctions. Since 2019, Tehran has suspended its compliance with most of the limits set by the agreement in response to Washington's abandonment of the deal under Obama. Rouhani said Trump's political career had "died ... but the JCPOA is alive," referring to the agreement's official name, the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. "He did all he could to destroy the JCPOA but could not. "We expect (the Biden administration) to return to law and to commitments, and try in the next four years, if they can, to remove the stains of the past four years," he added. Biden's pick for secretary of state, Anthony Blinken, said at a Senate confirmation hearing Tuesday that Trump's policies had made Iran "more dangerous". Blinken confirmed Biden's desire for Washington to return to the nuclear agreement, but said that was conditional on Tehran's return to strict compliance with its commitments. (With AFP inputs)

Iran hails end of 'tyrant' Trump's regime

Joe Biden's inauguration was a historic moment for the US. Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States and became the oldest President of the country.

Joe Biden's inauguration was a historic moment for the US. Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States and became the oldest President of the country. His running mate Kamala Harris to created history by becoming the first woman to be sworn in as the Vice President of the country. She also the first person of colour to have become the US Vice President. Social media was super active as the world witnessed the ceremony on television. The ceremony was inspiring but it also led to some hilarious memes on the internet and Senator Bernie Sanders featured in a lot of them. Senator Sanders was photographed sitting crosslegged in isolation, wearing mittens, and mask. The image became a subject of hilarious memes. Check them out. "I am once again asking for a space heater." https://t.co/2PmfOWFGYE — Daisy Razor-in-candy (@daisy_razor) January 20, 2021 × “This could’ve been an email” pic.twitter.com/kn68z6eDhY — Ashley K. (@AshleyKSmalls) January 20, 2021 × tired of being caught in the tangle of my government pic.twitter.com/a9E4T2wxD9 — JP (@jpbrammer) January 20, 2021 × pic.twitter.com/vE5I7FMNCu — Paul Gale (@ImPaulGale) January 20, 2021 × https://t.co/sDOMbfNn6Z — Melissa Lewis (@iff_or) January 20, 2021 × oh wow, this might be my favoritehttps://t.co/MN3gGyAOYt — Melissa Lewis (@iff_or) January 20, 2021 × when I’m early for a movie but didn’t bring a book pic.twitter.com/FCrFnxE3gS — Marc (@MarcSnetiker) January 20, 2021 × NOT BERNIE SANDERS STARK??!! 💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀💀 pic.twitter.com/xklU9v2sKH — Jessica Fyre 💫 (@TheJessieWoo) January 21, 2021 × actual photos of bernie sanders and tom hanks tonight at the inauguration night celebration pic.twitter.com/J1QtMWkCWX — Tori :) (@dottie_tori) January 21, 2021 × Even Ryan Reynolds took a shot and posted his version of the now popular meme. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Ryan Reynolds (@vancityreynolds) × Of course, no meme fest is complete without poking some fun at outgoing President Donald Trump and his family. There were several who wondered where Trump's youngest son Baron was as only Trump and Melania were clicked leaving the White House hours before the ceremony started. A lot of them wondered if the couple had left behind their 14-year-old son at the White House! barron trump standing at the foot of the biden’s bed tonight asking if they’re his parents now pic.twitter.com/H6MiW4Hv3x — juls 🌞 (@julleeg) January 20, 2021 × barron trump when he realizes his family forgot him at the white house and now he gets to live with the bidens pic.twitter.com/KFHJ20du5J — denise ☾ (@C0NNEX1ON) January 20, 2021 × [Biden finds left behind Barron Trump wandering the White House halls] Hey man — Brendan O'Hare (@brendohare) January 20, 2021 × Barron trump this morning pic.twitter.com/KeOqXboSzI — Patrick (@PrayForPatrick) January 20, 2021 × Barron walking downstairs for breakfast pic.twitter.com/FLXQoKK6GV — yum maga tears (@BringOutTheDead) January 20, 2021 × ARE YOU BARRON WE HAVE TO GO pic.twitter.com/0ZjPdePqvM — Santiago Mayer (@santiagomayer_) January 21, 2021 × There were also some interesting takes on Trump's apparent letter to Biden before he left the Oval Office. Donald Trump, age 74, presidential letter to Joe Biden. pic.twitter.com/SV9mH83fYt — Jacques (@KindbutSalty) January 20, 2021 × Trumps letter to Biden🙌🏿 pic.twitter.com/CFPoFSeZWf — Quirk (@MotheiQuirk) January 20, 2021 × Trump’s note to President Biden just leaked. pic.twitter.com/gzxGnNg34K — The Lincoln Project (@ProjectLincoln) January 20, 2021 × Then there were some observations about Joe Biden's enormous Bible. Joe Biden got his Bible from King James himself. pic.twitter.com/XB0vZpYOhA — Kevín (@KevOnStage) January 20, 2021 × Joe Biden’s Bible must be the director’s cut. pic.twitter.com/4ZgS34B2ja — Woody Whitehurst - Thumb Gangster (@woodywhitehurst) January 20, 2021 × first edition signed by jesus looking bible https://t.co/sKIGrZnrEW — hasanabi (@hasanthehun) January 20, 2021 × The event had Lady Gaga performing. Needless to say, there were a lot of reactions on the singer as well as on Jennifer Lopez and Garth Brooks' acts. Lady Gaga went from Star Wars to Hunger Games real quick. pic.twitter.com/VD1BWfAyAT — 〄 (@PopeChromaticus) January 20, 2021 × My cat when JLo broke into “Let’s get Loud” 😂 pic.twitter.com/HemrhcnFGU — Sarah Kaplan (@sarahkaplan48) January 20, 2021 × j lo fighting the urge to break into the extended 11:11 hex hector vocal remix version of waiting for tonight — Desus Nice (@desusnice) January 20, 2021 × jennifer lopez in me in her fifties my twenties pic.twitter.com/TDgQ8OqEub — niti 📌 rt!! (@NITIWASTAKEN) January 20, 2021 × Garth Brooks singing Amazing Grace pic.twitter.com/8yWOKT3nWR — Sean Yoo (@SeanYoo) January 20, 2021 ×

Sitting Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden's bible and Donald Trump's exit: The best memes from inauguration day

<p>As a child, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. wrestled with words, grappling with a boyhood stutter. Years later, as a young politician, he could not stop saying them, quickly developing a reputation for long-winded remarks.</p>

<p>It was words that undercut his first two campaigns for the White House, with charges of plagiarism ending his 1988 bid and verbal missteps that hampered his 2008 outing from nearly the first moments. And it was his self-described penchant for being a “gaffe machine,” as he once put it, that would cement his vice-presidential nickname of “Uncle Joe,” the endearing relative who prompts the occasional wince.</p>

<p>Through a nearly half-century-long political career marked by personal tragedy and forged in national upheaval, Biden’s struggle with his own words has remained a central fact of his professional life and of the ambition he harboured for nearly as long: the White House.</p>

<p>Yet over the course of the 2020 campaign and especially in the two months since his victory, Biden, the nation’s 46th president, has transformed himself into a steady hand who chooses words with extraordinary restraint.</p>

<p>The self-described “scrappy kid from Scranton,” Pennsylvania, who called former President Donald Trump a “clown” and told him to “shut up” during their first debate, refused to take the political bait laid by Trump for weeks after the election with his attempts to overturn the results. Rather than get sucked into the Trumpian chaos, Biden focused on announcing his Cabinet and helping his party win two runoff races in Georgia. And with a second impeachment trial looming in the Senate, Biden, 78, has maintained his steadfast faith in the political center, positioning himself as a champion of all Americans and a deal-maker between the left and the right.</p>

<p>There is “more of a sense of a calm resolve now,” said Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., who has known Biden for decades and served as a co-chair of his campaign. “Even the words that he uses that are fiery are very intentional now. He is where he is supposed to be at this moment.”</p>

<p>The coming year will test Biden’s self-discipline, as he takes office amid urgency from his own party to make a decisive break with the Trump era by pushing through an aggressive policy agenda in the face of a Republican Party that is looking to come together around a new opponent. Biden and his aides are staking much on his ability to find the right words to restore America’s reputation, win bipartisan support in Congress and unite an anxious nation.</p>

<p>Much of Biden’s inaugural address Wednesday centered on calling the country to come together in the midst of many challenges, with some of his first words as president focused on issuing a plea to those who did not support his candidacy.</p>

<p>“Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart,” he said. “Yet hear me clearly: Disagreement must not lead to disunion.”</p>

<p>Biden's ability to steer and stay the course calmly through turbulence is a testament, say friends and family, to both Biden’s unabashed optimism and his deep belief in the importance of American political norms and traditions. The man who came to Washington at age 30 as one of the youngest senators in history now enters the White House as the oldest president in history, with more experience in government and legislating to guide his path than any leader in decades.</p>

<p>“He’s been around so long that now that he is going to be the leader of this country, he knows he must conduct himself with presidential composure,” said Chuck Hagel, a longtime friend of Biden’s who served as defense secretary in the administration of former President Barack Obama and before that as a Republican senator from Nebraska. “He knows the only way we’ll be able to start to climb out of this hole is for the leader of the country to be seen as fair and open and not dwelling on the negative.”</p>

<p>That Biden finds himself in this role at all is an unlikely turn of events for a man whose political career seemed to have stalled or ended so many times, including when tragedy struck just after he won his first election to the Senate in 1972. But after 36 years in the chamber and eight years as vice president, he became a familiar figure in the country’s political consciousness. When Americans sought a way back to stability after four years of tumult, Biden felt like a comfort to many voters. As Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. and one of Biden’s most important supporters in the primary race, is fond of saying and repeated in an interview Tuesday, “We know Joe, and Joe knows us.”</p>

<p>To Biden’s friends and family, his success at winning the White House is proof that there is something fundamentally reassuring about his character — his loyalty, his empathy and his experience — that Americans want after four years of an unpredictable and chaotic administration. Even when he misspeaks, they argue, it underscores his authenticity, the journey of a man who moved through the darkness of the losses of his young wife, baby daughter and adult son to remain optimistic about politics, the country and his own destiny.</p>

<p>“He has a backbone of steel. He has a tremendous amount of empathy, and he seeks the better angels in humankind,” said Valerie Biden Owens, Biden’s sister and closest political adviser. “His word is his bond.”</p>

<p>Biden’s remarks during his presidential bid did not always set as decisive a tone. A campaign trail refrain that “words matter,” a line intended to be an attack on Trump, seemed at times like a reminder to the candidate. Often rambling and spotted with verbal tics — Bidenisms like an indignant “c’mon man” and a gentle “God love 'em” — his comments careened between dense policy proposals, praise for long-deceased political leaders, minor flubs and the occasional factual inaccuracy.</p>

<p>Republicans pounced on his rhetorical style, caricaturing Biden as too mentally frail for the job. Even some in his own party pointed to comments like his praise for segregationists and overly friendly interactions with women as a sign that Biden was out of step with the times.</p>

<p>Throughout a long campaign, a pandemic, a racial reckoning and a riot at the Capitol, Biden’s central message of moral and political restoration never wavered: Renew American decency. Return to good governance. And heal a divided nation. From snowy Iowa cornfields to socially distanced debate stages, the former vice president offered his “word as a Biden” that he could fulfill his campaign promises.</p>

<p>In the end, after a crowded primary packed with Democratic candidates pushing for structural transformation and a general election against a president determined to upend government, Americans selected a new president but rejected sweeping change.</p>

<p>While Biden has pivoted left with his party, he remains a centrist at his core, determined to unite a frayed body politic and persuade some Republicans to support his agenda. For much of the past half-century, Biden has found himself in the literal middle of American politics: in the central seat on the Judiciary Committee, in the center of policy debates in the Obama administration, at center stage in the presidential debates and now at the White House. He is a man both of and apart from Washington, deeply immersed in the mores, manners and maneuvering of the Capitol even as he spent decades commuting home to Delaware on Amtrak.</p>

<p>“He has the most unique insight into what motivates politicians and how they think than anyone since Lyndon Johnson,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who first met Biden as a young man. “He just spent so many decades engaging with politicians.”</p>

<p>More essentially, said Ted Kaufman, Biden’s longtime chief of staff and short-term successor in the Senate, Biden is a “healer” determined to bridge seemingly unbridgeable divides.</p>

<p>The political traits that would come to define Biden were present from the start. A Catholic son of Scranton and Wilmington, Delaware, he has long mythologized his childhood in stump speech tales of “Grandpop Finnegan” and virtuous sayings from his father, a car salesman who struggled to find work.</p>

<p>Even in the 1960s, Biden was something of an institutionalist in a blow-it-up generation. In penny loafers and sports coats, he rambled around the University of Delaware and Syracuse University College of Law, a middling student with little connection to the civil rights movement and the other social activism of the time. He received five student draft deferments during the Vietnam War and was kept from service after a physical exam in 1968 because he had asthma as a teenager, according to his campaign.</p>

<p>“I’m not big on flak jackets and tie-dye shirts,” he told reporters in 1987, distinguishing himself from some politically minded contemporaries. “Other people marched. I ran for office.”</p>

<p>After marriage, graduation and a brief stint at a Wilmington law firm, Biden won a seat on the New Castle County Council. Shortly after his election, one of his colleagues quipped that Biden “was the only man he knew who could give an extemporaneous 15-minute speech on the underside of a blade of grass.” The local paper called him a “compulsive talker,” and his underdog race for the Senate in 1972 was labeled “Mr. Nice vs. Mr. Mouth.” Biden was, of course, the mouth.</p>

<p>He entered office just weeks after the death of his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi in a crash with a tractor-trailer. Reeling from the tragedy, Biden would make only a six-month commitment to the Senate, taking the oath of office from the hospital bedside of his two young sons. Mentored by Sen. Mike Mansfield, then the majority leader, he eventually found himself swept into the business of the body with a plum seat on the Foreign Relations Committee — an early move that would later cement his reputation as an expert in U.S. foreign policy.</p>

<p>In Washington, Mouth found much to discuss. A legendary profile by future celebrity biographer Kitty Kelley in 1974 featured Biden openly discussing dating, sex and his late wife. (Biden would later talk about that period in his life as a haze of rage and anger, saying he felt like a “sucker” for sharing so much.)</p>

<p>His personal life stabilized after his marriage to his second wife, Jill, and the birth of a fourth child, their daughter Ashley. But his political career continued along an uneven course.</p>

<p>Biden’s greatest early failure and biggest success intertwined in 1987: the humiliation of a failed presidential bid and his victory as the new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee in stopping Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Biden announced his campaign was over during a break from the hearing, where his strategy focused on persuading Republicans to block President Ronald Reagan’s nominee.</p>

<p>Four years later, Biden would again make overtures to his Republican colleagues during Justice Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearings, allowing harsh and invasive questioning of Anita Hill, the law professor who accused the nominee of sexual harassment. Biden would later express “regret” for the treatment she endured but insist he did not mistreat her.</p>

<p>“If you go back to what I said and didn’t say, I don’t think I treated her badly,” he said in an interview shortly after beginning his presidential bid in April 2019.</p>

<p>As he progressed through what would ultimately be six terms in the Senate, Biden became known for his willingness to reach across the aisle to craft legislation like the Violence Against Women Act and the 1994 crime bill and as a crucial voice in U.S. conflicts overseas. The Senate became his professional home, reinforcing his unshakable belief in the value of personal relationships — the power of his deal-making words — in the service of bipartisan compromise.</p>

<p>Another presidential bid in 2008 ended in failure, marked by impolitic comments like calling Obama, who was then one of his rivals in the primary, “articulate and bright and clean.” But his years on Capitol Hill and in foreign policy and his connection with white working-class voters later won him a place on Obama’s presidential ticket.</p>

<p>During the Obama administration, Biden settled into the role of elder statesman and experienced voice on foreign policy. He led negotiations with Sen. Mitch McConnell and congressional Republicans over the economic stimulus plan and budget deals. Still, some of his most memorable moments grew out of unsanctioned honesty — like breaking with the administration’s official position by saying in 2012 that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage.</p>

<p>In 2015, Biden mulled making a third bid for the White House, but the death of his son, Beau, from brain cancer that May was a devastating blow that Biden said left him emotionally unable to mount an effective campaign.</p>

<p>By the time Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a surprise ceremony at the end of his second term, praising his vice president as a “lion of American history,” the event seemed to mark a tearful end to Biden’s political ambitions.</p>

<p>In the end, it was that faith in his own character and experience that persuaded Biden to make a third run at the White House. Five months before announcing his bid with a 3 1/2-minute video casting the election as a national emergency, Biden described himself as the “most qualified person” for the job. When confronted by a moderator with a list of his possible political liabilities, he dismissed them all as minor issues compared with the huge problems faced by the country.</p>

<p>“I am a gaffe machine, but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can’t tell the truth,” he said during a stop on his book tour in 2018. “The question is, what kind of nation are we becoming?”</p>

<p>That sense of history was not lost on Biden on Tuesday when he made an emotional goodbye to his home state. With remarks recalling the national unrest before his Senate victory in 1972, his trip to Washington for his 2009 inauguration as vice president and memories of his deceased son, Biden teared up before even uttering a sentence.</p>

<p>“I’ll always be a proud son of Delaware,” he said, choking up as he drew on a phrase from James Joyce and the tears began to flow. “Excuse the emotion, but when I die, Delaware will be written on my heart.”</p>

<p>Presidents rarely utter such pointed words about their own mortality. But the moment was classic Biden, sharing his pain as he sought to connect with others.</p>

<p>The next president wiped his eyes once more and headed to Washington.</p>


As a child, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. wrestled with words, grappling with a boyhood stutter. Years later, as a young politician, he could not stop saying them, quickly developing a reputation for long-winded remarks.

As a child, Joseph Robinette Biden Jr. wrestled with words, grappling with a boyhood stutter. Years later, as a young politician, he could not stop saying them, quickly developing a reputation for long-winded remarks. It was words that undercut his first two campaigns for the White House, with charges of plagiarism ending his 1988 bid and verbal missteps that hampered his 2008 outing from nearly the first moments. And it was his self-described penchant for being a “gaffe machine,” as he once put it, that would cement his vice-presidential nickname of “Uncle Joe,” the endearing relative who prompts the occasional wince. Through a nearly half-century-long political career marked by personal tragedy and forged in national upheaval, Biden’s struggle with his own words has remained a central fact of his professional life and of the ambition he harboured for nearly as long: the White House. Yet over the course of the 2020 campaign and especially in the two months since his victory, Biden, the nation’s 46th president, has transformed himself into a steady hand who chooses words with extraordinary restraint. The self-described “scrappy kid from Scranton,” Pennsylvania, who called former President Donald Trump a “clown” and told him to “shut up” during their first debate, refused to take the political bait laid by Trump for weeks after the election with his attempts to overturn the results. Rather than get sucked into the Trumpian chaos, Biden focused on announcing his Cabinet and helping his party win two runoff races in Georgia. And with a second impeachment trial looming in the Senate, Biden, 78, has maintained his steadfast faith in the political center, positioning himself as a champion of all Americans and a deal-maker between the left and the right. There is “more of a sense of a calm resolve now,” said Rep. Lisa Blunt Rochester, D-Del., who has known Biden for decades and served as a co-chair of his campaign. “Even the words that he uses that are fiery are very intentional now. He is where he is supposed to be at this moment.” The coming year will test Biden’s self-discipline, as he takes office amid urgency from his own party to make a decisive break with the Trump era by pushing through an aggressive policy agenda in the face of a Republican Party that is looking to come together around a new opponent. Biden and his aides are staking much on his ability to find the right words to restore America’s reputation, win bipartisan support in Congress and unite an anxious nation. Much of Biden’s inaugural address Wednesday centered on calling the country to come together in the midst of many challenges, with some of his first words as president focused on issuing a plea to those who did not support his candidacy. “Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart,” he said. “Yet hear me clearly: Disagreement must not lead to disunion.” Biden's ability to steer and stay the course calmly through turbulence is a testament, say friends and family, to both Biden’s unabashed optimism and his deep belief in the importance of American political norms and traditions. The man who came to Washington at age 30 as one of the youngest senators in history now enters the White House as the oldest president in history, with more experience in government and legislating to guide his path than any leader in decades. “He’s been around so long that now that he is going to be the leader of this country, he knows he must conduct himself with presidential composure,” said Chuck Hagel, a longtime friend of Biden’s who served as defense secretary in the administration of former President Barack Obama and before that as a Republican senator from Nebraska. “He knows the only way we’ll be able to start to climb out of this hole is for the leader of the country to be seen as fair and open and not dwelling on the negative.” That Biden finds himself in this role at all is an unlikely turn of events for a man whose political career seemed to have stalled or ended so many times, including when tragedy struck just after he won his first election to the Senate in 1972. But after 36 years in the chamber and eight years as vice president, he became a familiar figure in the country’s political consciousness. When Americans sought a way back to stability after four years of tumult, Biden felt like a comfort to many voters. As Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C. and one of Biden’s most important supporters in the primary race, is fond of saying and repeated in an interview Tuesday, “We know Joe, and Joe knows us.” To Biden’s friends and family, his success at winning the White House is proof that there is something fundamentally reassuring about his character — his loyalty, his empathy and his experience — that Americans want after four years of an unpredictable and chaotic administration. Even when he misspeaks, they argue, it underscores his authenticity, the journey of a man who moved through the darkness of the losses of his young wife, baby daughter and adult son to remain optimistic about politics, the country and his own destiny. “He has a backbone of steel. He has a tremendous amount of empathy, and he seeks the better angels in humankind,” said Valerie Biden Owens, Biden’s sister and closest political adviser. “His word is his bond.” Biden’s remarks during his presidential bid did not always set as decisive a tone. A campaign trail refrain that “words matter,” a line intended to be an attack on Trump, seemed at times like a reminder to the candidate. Often rambling and spotted with verbal tics — Bidenisms like an indignant “c’mon man” and a gentle “God love 'em” — his comments careened between dense policy proposals, praise for long-deceased political leaders, minor flubs and the occasional factual inaccuracy. Republicans pounced on his rhetorical style, caricaturing Biden as too mentally frail for the job. Even some in his own party pointed to comments like his praise for segregationists and overly friendly interactions with women as a sign that Biden was out of step with the times. Throughout a long campaign, a pandemic, a racial reckoning and a riot at the Capitol, Biden’s central message of moral and political restoration never wavered: Renew American decency. Return to good governance. And heal a divided nation. From snowy Iowa cornfields to socially distanced debate stages, the former vice president offered his “word as a Biden” that he could fulfill his campaign promises. In the end, after a crowded primary packed with Democratic candidates pushing for structural transformation and a general election against a president determined to upend government, Americans selected a new president but rejected sweeping change. While Biden has pivoted left with his party, he remains a centrist at his core, determined to unite a frayed body politic and persuade some Republicans to support his agenda. For much of the past half-century, Biden has found himself in the literal middle of American politics: in the central seat on the Judiciary Committee, in the center of policy debates in the Obama administration, at center stage in the presidential debates and now at the White House. He is a man both of and apart from Washington, deeply immersed in the mores, manners and maneuvering of the Capitol even as he spent decades commuting home to Delaware on Amtrak. “He has the most unique insight into what motivates politicians and how they think than anyone since Lyndon Johnson,” said Sen. Bob Casey, D-Pa., who first met Biden as a young man. “He just spent so many decades engaging with politicians.” More essentially, said Ted Kaufman, Biden’s longtime chief of staff and short-term successor in the Senate, Biden is a “healer” determined to bridge seemingly unbridgeable divides. The political traits that would come to define Biden were present from the start. A Catholic son of Scranton and Wilmington, Delaware, he has long mythologized his childhood in stump speech tales of “Grandpop Finnegan” and virtuous sayings from his father, a car salesman who struggled to find work. Even in the 1960s, Biden was something of an institutionalist in a blow-it-up generation. In penny loafers and sports coats, he rambled around the University of Delaware and Syracuse University College of Law, a middling student with little connection to the civil rights movement and the other social activism of the time. He received five student draft deferments during the Vietnam War and was kept from service after a physical exam in 1968 because he had asthma as a teenager, according to his campaign. “I’m not big on flak jackets and tie-dye shirts,” he told reporters in 1987, distinguishing himself from some politically minded contemporaries. “Other people marched. I ran for office.” After marriage, graduation and a brief stint at a Wilmington law firm, Biden won a seat on the New Castle County Council. Shortly after his election, one of his colleagues quipped that Biden “was the only man he knew who could give an extemporaneous 15-minute speech on the underside of a blade of grass.” The local paper called him a “compulsive talker,” and his underdog race for the Senate in 1972 was labeled “Mr. Nice vs. Mr. Mouth.” Biden was, of course, the mouth. He entered office just weeks after the death of his wife Neilia and daughter Naomi in a crash with a tractor-trailer. Reeling from the tragedy, Biden would make only a six-month commitment to the Senate, taking the oath of office from the hospital bedside of his two young sons. Mentored by Sen. Mike Mansfield, then the majority leader, he eventually found himself swept into the business of the body with a plum seat on the Foreign Relations Committee — an early move that would later cement his reputation as an expert in U.S. foreign policy. In Washington, Mouth found much to discuss. A legendary profile by future celebrity biographer Kitty Kelley in 1974 featured Biden openly discussing dating, sex and his late wife. (Biden would later talk about that period in his life as a haze of rage and anger, saying he felt like a “sucker” for sharing so much.) His personal life stabilized after his marriage to his second wife, Jill, and the birth of a fourth child, their daughter Ashley. But his political career continued along an uneven course. Biden’s greatest early failure and biggest success intertwined in 1987: the humiliation of a failed presidential bid and his victory as the new chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee in stopping Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court. Biden announced his campaign was over during a break from the hearing, where his strategy focused on persuading Republicans to block President Ronald Reagan’s nominee. Four years later, Biden would again make overtures to his Republican colleagues during Justice Clarence Thomas’ confirmation hearings, allowing harsh and invasive questioning of Anita Hill, the law professor who accused the nominee of sexual harassment. Biden would later express “regret” for the treatment she endured but insist he did not mistreat her. “If you go back to what I said and didn’t say, I don’t think I treated her badly,” he said in an interview shortly after beginning his presidential bid in April 2019. As he progressed through what would ultimately be six terms in the Senate, Biden became known for his willingness to reach across the aisle to craft legislation like the Violence Against Women Act and the 1994 crime bill and as a crucial voice in U.S. conflicts overseas. The Senate became his professional home, reinforcing his unshakable belief in the value of personal relationships — the power of his deal-making words — in the service of bipartisan compromise. Another presidential bid in 2008 ended in failure, marked by impolitic comments like calling Obama, who was then one of his rivals in the primary, “articulate and bright and clean.” But his years on Capitol Hill and in foreign policy and his connection with white working-class voters later won him a place on Obama’s presidential ticket. During the Obama administration, Biden settled into the role of elder statesman and experienced voice on foreign policy. He led negotiations with Sen. Mitch McConnell and congressional Republicans over the economic stimulus plan and budget deals. Still, some of his most memorable moments grew out of unsanctioned honesty — like breaking with the administration’s official position by saying in 2012 that he was “absolutely comfortable” with same-sex marriage. In 2015, Biden mulled making a third bid for the White House, but the death of his son, Beau, from brain cancer that May was a devastating blow that Biden said left him emotionally unable to mount an effective campaign. By the time Obama awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom in a surprise ceremony at the end of his second term, praising his vice president as a “lion of American history,” the event seemed to mark a tearful end to Biden’s political ambitions. In the end, it was that faith in his own character and experience that persuaded Biden to make a third run at the White House. Five months before announcing his bid with a 3 1/2-minute video casting the election as a national emergency, Biden described himself as the “most qualified person” for the job. When confronted by a moderator with a list of his possible political liabilities, he dismissed them all as minor issues compared with the huge problems faced by the country. “I am a gaffe machine, but my God, what a wonderful thing compared to a guy who can’t tell the truth,” he said during a stop on his book tour in 2018. “The question is, what kind of nation are we becoming?” That sense of history was not lost on Biden on Tuesday when he made an emotional goodbye to his home state. With remarks recalling the national unrest before his Senate victory in 1972, his trip to Washington for his 2009 inauguration as vice president and memories of his deceased son, Biden teared up before even uttering a sentence. “I’ll always be a proud son of Delaware,” he said, choking up as he drew on a phrase from James Joyce and the tears began to flow. “Excuse the emotion, but when I die, Delaware will be written on my heart.” Presidents rarely utter such pointed words about their own mortality. But the moment was classic Biden, sharing his pain as he sought to connect with others. The next president wiped his eyes once more and headed to Washington.

How Joe Biden became a steady hand amid so much chaos

<p>Twelve US National Guard troops have been pulled from duty protecting the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, partly due to an investigation of extremist sympathies in the ranks, the Pentagon said Tuesday.</p>

<p>"We are, out of an abundance of caution, taking action and immediately removing them from the line of duty at the Capitol and the events taking place," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.</p>

<p>Two of the 12 were removed from duty for making "inappropriate comments or texts," said National Guard Commander General Daniel Hokanson.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The two were sent home, he said, declining to explain what was said in the comments.</p>

<p>They were pulled from the force "out of an abundance of caution," he said.</p>

<p>The removal of the other 10 troops was also unexplained, but was "unrelated to the events taking place at the Capitol or to the concerns that many people have noted on extremism," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman.</p>

<p>The actions against the 12 came amid concerns that the far-right extremists who took a part in the assault on the US Capitol on January 6 have associates or sympathisers in the US military.</p>

<p>Concerned about a possible threat to Biden or others, the FBI has investigated whether there were extremists among the up 25,000 National Guard troops being deployed in Washington to keep security for the inauguration.</p>

<p>We "want to make sure that we have the right people in the security bubble," General William Walker, head of the Washington National Guard, told Fox News on Monday.</p>


Twelve US National Guard troops have been pulled from duty protecting the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, partly due to an investigation of extremist sympathies in the ranks, the Pentagon said Tuesday.

Twelve US National Guard troops have been pulled from duty protecting the presidential inauguration of Joe Biden, partly due to an investigation of extremist sympathies in the ranks, the Pentagon said Tuesday. "We are, out of an abundance of caution, taking action and immediately removing them from the line of duty at the Capitol and the events taking place," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. Two of the 12 were removed from duty for making "inappropriate comments or texts," said National Guard Commander General Daniel Hokanson. The two were sent home, he said, declining to explain what was said in the comments. They were pulled from the force "out of an abundance of caution," he said. The removal of the other 10 troops was also unexplained, but was "unrelated to the events taking place at the Capitol or to the concerns that many people have noted on extremism," said Pentagon spokesman Jonathan Hoffman. The actions against the 12 came amid concerns that the far-right extremists who took a part in the assault on the US Capitol on January 6 have associates or sympathisers in the US military. Concerned about a possible threat to Biden or others, the FBI has investigated whether there were extremists among the up 25,000 National Guard troops being deployed in Washington to keep security for the inauguration. We "want to make sure that we have the right people in the security bubble," General William Walker, head of the Washington National Guard, told Fox News on Monday.

12 US National Guard troops pulled from inauguration after far-right probe

<p>Joe Biden will continue the tradition of having pets inside the White House. The arrival of the Bidens and their dogs Major and Champ at the White House this week will mark the return of a longstanding tradition - four-legged furry friends have always been a part of the 18-acre estate that is home to the US president.<br />
<br />
Outgoing President Donald Trump was the first president since Andrew Johnson in the 1860s not to share the presidential digs with a dog or a cat - or even a raccoon, like the one kept by Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s.<br />
<br />
Major, a German Shepherd, is the first rescue dog to move in at the White House. The Bidens adopted him in November 2018 from the Delaware Humane Association. Champ, also a German Shepherd, joined the family in 2008.<br />
<br />
"From shelter pup at the Delaware Humane Association to First Dog at the White House, Major Biden is barking proof that every dog can live the American dream," said the group, which <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/indoguration-for-major-biden-as-joe-biden-prepares-white-house-move-355817">hosted an online 'indoguration'&nbsp;fundraiser </a>on January 17 to celebrate Major`s move into the White House on January 20.<br />
<br />
Former President Barack Obama was dog-less while campaigning, but promised his daughters Sasha and Malia a puppy during his acceptance speech after winning the 2008 election. The Obamas eventually had a portugues Water Dog called Bo who was gifted to the family by the late Senator Ted Kennedy.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-inauguration-day-2021-live-updates-trump-pardons-73-people-including-ex-aide-steve-bannon-357872"><strong>US Inauguration Day 2021 Live updates</strong></a><br />
<br />
The Obamas adopted a second dog of the same breed, Sunny, in 2013, according to the Presidential Pet Museum.<br />
<br />
The 'first pets' of America enjoy perks as well. Like George W Bush`s Scottish Terrier, Barney, flew on Air Force One and starred in `Barney Cam` videos to celebrate the holiday season. "He never discussed politics and was always a faithful friend," Bush said when Barney died in 2013.<br />
<br />
The Clintons` Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Buddy, joined cat Socks at the White House; while George HW Bush and family had several dogs in the White House, including Millie, the star of a children`s book written by Bush`s wife Barbara.<br />
About 67% of all U.S. homes had a pet in 2019, up from 56% three decades ago, the American Pet Products Association reported last year.<br />
<br />
And the pandemic has given pet ownership a further boost. Animal shelter adoptions jumped about 15% as people turned to furry friends to help them cope with the isolation from lockdown orders.</p>

<p><strong><a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-religious-services-to-a-musical-night-a-comprehensive-guide-to-the-joe-bidens-inauguration-day-357933" hreflang="en">From religious services to a musical night: A comprehensive guide to the Joe Biden's inauguration day</a></strong><br />
<br />
Biden`s wife Jill has hinted that maybe they will also host a cat in the near future.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Interestingly, the Naval Observatory, which is the home of the vice president, will be saying goodbye to four pets.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Vice President Mike Pence and his family had a cat named Hazel, a dog named Harley, a snake named Sapphira, and a bunny named Marlon Bundo. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband don`t own pets.</p>

<h5><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lady-gaga-tom-hanks-justin-timberlake-the-complete-celebrity-line-up-at-joe-bidens-inaugural-ceremony-357942" hreflang="en">Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake: The complete celebrity line up at Joe Biden's inaugural ceremony&nbsp;</a></h5>

<p><em>(With inputs from Reuters)</em></p>


Joe Biden will continue the tradition of having pets inside the White House. The arrival of the Bidens and their dogs Major and Champ at the White House this week will mark the return of a longstanding tradition - four-legged furry friends have always been a part of the 18-acre estate that is home to the US president.

Joe Biden will continue the tradition of having pets inside the White House. The arrival of the Bidens and their dogs Major and Champ at the White House this week will mark the return of a longstanding tradition - four-legged furry friends have always been a part of the 18-acre estate that is home to the US president. Outgoing President Donald Trump was the first president since Andrew Johnson in the 1860s not to share the presidential digs with a dog or a cat - or even a raccoon, like the one kept by Calvin Coolidge in the 1920s. Major, a German Shepherd, is the first rescue dog to move in at the White House. The Bidens adopted him in November 2018 from the Delaware Humane Association. Champ, also a German Shepherd, joined the family in 2008. "From shelter pup at the Delaware Humane Association to First Dog at the White House, Major Biden is barking proof that every dog can live the American dream," said the group, which hosted an online 'indoguration' fundraiser on January 17 to celebrate Major`s move into the White House on January 20. Former President Barack Obama was dog-less while campaigning, but promised his daughters Sasha and Malia a puppy during his acceptance speech after winning the 2008 election. The Obamas eventually had a portugues Water Dog called Bo who was gifted to the family by the late Senator Ted Kennedy. US Inauguration Day 2021 Live updates The Obamas adopted a second dog of the same breed, Sunny, in 2013, according to the Presidential Pet Museum. The 'first pets' of America enjoy perks as well. Like George W Bush`s Scottish Terrier, Barney, flew on Air Force One and starred in `Barney Cam` videos to celebrate the holiday season. "He never discussed politics and was always a faithful friend," Bush said when Barney died in 2013. The Clintons` Chocolate Labrador Retriever, Buddy, joined cat Socks at the White House; while George HW Bush and family had several dogs in the White House, including Millie, the star of a children`s book written by Bush`s wife Barbara. About 67% of all U.S. homes had a pet in 2019, up from 56% three decades ago, the American Pet Products Association reported last year. And the pandemic has given pet ownership a further boost. Animal shelter adoptions jumped about 15% as people turned to furry friends to help them cope with the isolation from lockdown orders. From religious services to a musical night: A comprehensive guide to the Joe Biden's inauguration day Biden`s wife Jill has hinted that maybe they will also host a cat in the near future. Interestingly, the Naval Observatory, which is the home of the vice president, will be saying goodbye to four pets. Vice President Mike Pence and his family had a cat named Hazel, a dog named Harley, a snake named Sapphira, and a bunny named Marlon Bundo. Vice President-elect Kamala Harris and her husband don`t own pets. Lady Gaga, Tom Hanks, Justin Timberlake: The complete celebrity line up at Joe Biden's inaugural ceremony (With inputs from Reuters)

White House to be home for Joe Biden's pets Major and Champ: A brief history on 'first pets' of America 

<p>Donald Trump's tenure as the President of United States ends in a few hours but actress Pamela Anderson made a final appeal to Trump to show his commitment to free speech by granting pardon to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange before he leaves office.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The 'Baywatch' star, a longtime supporter and friend of Assange, appeared on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' and said that the pardon decision represents a "defining moment for the president."&nbsp;<br />
<br />
Trump is expected to issue around 100 commutations and pardons before departing office.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
There has been an aggressive and active campaign appealing for Assange's freedom but the publisher is unlikely to make it to Trump's list.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"The entire world wants, or most want him to pardon Julian Assange," Anderson told host Tucker Carlson. "This is his time to shine and really make an impression on the world. If this goes to trial, that’s the end of the First Amendment."<br />
<br />
"This is one of those moments in history, in his lifetime, where he can make the right decision," she told Carlson.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"He would really gain a huge following and a huge sigh of relief and gratefulness from so many people on the planet."<br />
<br />
Assange, right now, is detained in the UK's Belmarsh Prison waiting for a final decision on his extradition to the United States.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Donald Trump's tenure as the President of United States ends in a few hours but actress Pamela Anderson made a final appeal to Trump to show his commitment to free speech by granting pardon to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange before he leaves office.

Donald Trump's tenure as the President of United States ends in a few hours but actress Pamela Anderson made a final appeal to Trump to show his commitment to free speech by granting pardon to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange before he leaves office. The 'Baywatch' star, a longtime supporter and friend of Assange, appeared on 'Tucker Carlson Tonight' and said that the pardon decision represents a "defining moment for the president." Trump is expected to issue around 100 commutations and pardons before departing office. There has been an aggressive and active campaign appealing for Assange's freedom but the publisher is unlikely to make it to Trump's list. "The entire world wants, or most want him to pardon Julian Assange," Anderson told host Tucker Carlson. "This is his time to shine and really make an impression on the world. If this goes to trial, that’s the end of the First Amendment." "This is one of those moments in history, in his lifetime, where he can make the right decision," she told Carlson. "He would really gain a huge following and a huge sigh of relief and gratefulness from so many people on the planet." Assange, right now, is detained in the UK's Belmarsh Prison waiting for a final decision on his extradition to the United States.

Pamela Anderson pleads to Donald Trump to pardon WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange before he leaves office

<p>A few days later, the US will host the much-awaited inauguration ceremony of the President-elect <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> and give him control of the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/the-white-house">White House</a>.</p>

<p>Biden will be replacing the outgoing President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> but unlike him, he will be promoting national unity in his inaugural speech.</p>

<p>The preview of his speech's theme was provided to the local US media channels a few days before his inauguration ceremony.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-will-wait-for-recommendation-on-sharing-secrets-with-trump-357374" hreflang="en">Biden will wait for recommendation on sharing secrets with Trump</a></strong></p>

<p>"It’s a message of moving this country forward, it’s a message of unity, it’s a message of getting things done," Ron Klain, the incoming White House chief of staff told local media.</p>

<p>Biden will be talking about restoring the soul of America and the importance of coming together as a nation rather than following his predecessor's alleged policy of 'divide and rule'.</p>

<p>"There’s no question we’ve seen the most divisive four years in over a century from President Trump, it’s one reason Joe Biden ran, to restore the soul of America. The events of the past few weeks have proven out just how damaged the soul of America has been, and how important it is to restore it. That work starts on Wednesday," Klain said.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/rioters-who-attacked-us-capitol-seek-pardons-from-president-trump-357327" hreflang="en">Rioters who attacked US Capitol seek pardons from President Trump</a></strong></p>

<p>Soon after taking control of the White House, Biden will get to work on reversing the most controversial policies and infamous decisions introduced and taken by Donald Trump.</p>

<p>In earlier reports, it was reported by an aide of Biden that the President-elect will be signing at least a dozen of executive orders within the first ten days of his presidency, including US' return to the Paris climate agreement and relaxation on immigration policies.</p>

<p>However, the ray of hope will be delivered while the country will observe strict surveillance by the National Guards who will be guarding the Washington city against any possibility of a terrorist attack — after the Capitol riots by Trump supporters.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/washington-on-high-alert-ahead-of-biden-inauguration-357513"><strong>WATCH|</strong></a></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/washington-on-high-alert-ahead-of-biden-inauguration-357513/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>Many officials have compared the present environment of Washington to war zones such as Baghdad and Syria. "I never thought I would see that in our own capital or that it would be necessary, but there was a profound threat from domestic violent extremists of the nature we saw on 6 January," Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee told local reporters.</p>

<p>Trump had declared a state of emergency in the city after the FBI warned another similar riot during the inauguration week of Joe Biden.</p>


A few days later, the US will host the much-awaited inauguration ceremony of the President-elect Joe Biden and give him control of the White House. Biden will be replacing the outgoing President Donald Trump but unlike him, he will be promoting national unity in his inaugural speech.

A few days later, the US will host the much-awaited inauguration ceremony of the President-elect Joe Biden and give him control of the White House. Biden will be replacing the outgoing President Donald Trump but unlike him, he will be promoting national unity in his inaugural speech. The preview of his speech's theme was provided to the local US media channels a few days before his inauguration ceremony. Also read| Biden will wait for recommendation on sharing secrets with Trump "It’s a message of moving this country forward, it’s a message of unity, it’s a message of getting things done," Ron Klain, the incoming White House chief of staff told local media. Biden will be talking about restoring the soul of America and the importance of coming together as a nation rather than following his predecessor's alleged policy of 'divide and rule'. "There’s no question we’ve seen the most divisive four years in over a century from President Trump, it’s one reason Joe Biden ran, to restore the soul of America. The events of the past few weeks have proven out just how damaged the soul of America has been, and how important it is to restore it. That work starts on Wednesday," Klain said. Also read| Rioters who attacked US Capitol seek pardons from President Trump Soon after taking control of the White House, Biden will get to work on reversing the most controversial policies and infamous decisions introduced and taken by Donald Trump. In earlier reports, it was reported by an aide of Biden that the President-elect will be signing at least a dozen of executive orders within the first ten days of his presidency, including US' return to the Paris climate agreement and relaxation on immigration policies. However, the ray of hope will be delivered while the country will observe strict surveillance by the National Guards who will be guarding the Washington city against any possibility of a terrorist attack — after the Capitol riots by Trump supporters. WATCH| Many officials have compared the present environment of Washington to war zones such as Baghdad and Syria. "I never thought I would see that in our own capital or that it would be necessary, but there was a profound threat from domestic violent extremists of the nature we saw on 6 January," Adam Schiff, the Democratic chair of the House intelligence committee told local reporters. Trump had declared a state of emergency in the city after the FBI warned another similar riot during the inauguration week of Joe Biden.

Joe Biden set to talk about unity in his inaugural speech, amid backdrop of riots

<p>Wednesday was a disastrous day for <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>as when the US lawmakers were impeaching him, New York dumped him.&nbsp;</p>

<p>New York is the same city where Trump made him name.</p>

<p>It decided to end all business ties with the Trump organisation worth more than 17 million dollars.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The contracts of The Trump Organization that were ended included two skating rinks and a carousel in Central Park.</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/as-trump-set-to-end-presidency-are-these-final-days-of-his-brand-too-356764">As Trump set to end presidency, are these final days of his brand too?</a></strong></p>

<p>The damage is not just financial and he has lost all political capital also.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Reports suggest that The Trump Organization was struggling to attract companies to its commercial properties well before the siege of the US Capitol and now it may virtually be impossible.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump is being blamed for an attack on the seat of power in America, which is now under a state of emergency.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Military and security teams have turned Washington DC into a fortress.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Military trucks now block the way to the Capitol and giant fences now guard the White House.&nbsp;</p>

<p>As many as 20,000 troops with lethal weapons are expected to guard the city during the inauguration of Joe Biden.&nbsp;</p>

<p>There is a heavy security presence at the Capitol too and the halls now look like an armed encampment.</p>

<p>Trump was out of sight when the House voted to impeach him again.</p>

<p>Reports claim the White House made no effort to line up votes in the president's defence.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump has already decided not to attend the inauguration.</p>

<p>He has agreed to pass the baton to Biden, but only after he tried what is called a coup.&nbsp;</p>

<p>The horrors of the insurrection of the US Capitol will continue to chase him even after he was left the White House.</p>


Wednesday was a disastrous day for Donald Trump as when the US lawmakers were impeaching him, New York dumped him. New York is the same city where Trump made him name.

Wednesday was a disastrous day for Donald Trump as when the US lawmakers were impeaching him, New York dumped him. New York is the same city where Trump made him name. It decided to end all business ties with the Trump organisation worth more than 17 million dollars. The contracts of The Trump Organization that were ended included two skating rinks and a carousel in Central Park. Also read | As Trump set to end presidency, are these final days of his brand too? The damage is not just financial and he has lost all political capital also. Reports suggest that The Trump Organization was struggling to attract companies to its commercial properties well before the siege of the US Capitol and now it may virtually be impossible. Trump is being blamed for an attack on the seat of power in America, which is now under a state of emergency. Military and security teams have turned Washington DC into a fortress. Military trucks now block the way to the Capitol and giant fences now guard the White House. As many as 20,000 troops with lethal weapons are expected to guard the city during the inauguration of Joe Biden. There is a heavy security presence at the Capitol too and the halls now look like an armed encampment. Trump was out of sight when the House voted to impeach him again. Reports claim the White House made no effort to line up votes in the president's defence. Trump has already decided not to attend the inauguration. He has agreed to pass the baton to Biden, but only after he tried what is called a coup. The horrors of the insurrection of the US Capitol will continue to chase him even after he was left the White House.

New York, the city that made Donald Trump ends ties with him

<p>Actor Macaulay Culkin, best known for playing Kevin McCallister in the 1990s classic 'Home Alone' is not a fan of Donald Trump. On Wednesday, the actor showed his support to one fan's call for the removal of President Trump from a scene in 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump had a cameo appearance in the film where Culkin's character Kevin McCallister visited the Plaza which was owned by the US President at that time.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
After one fan tweeted, "Petition to digitally replace trump in 'home alone 2' with 40-year-old macaulay culkin," Culkin replied, "Sold."&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Sold.</p>
— Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) <a href="https://twitter.com/IncredibleCulk/status/1349248426542657538?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Another fan took a step further and edited Trump out of the particular scene with a young Culking walking around the Plaza Hotel and asking no one in particular, "Excuse me, where is the lobby?"<br />
<br />
The clip then cuts to silence where actually Trump's single line used to be. Culkin replied to the post with a "Bravo."&nbsp;</p>

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
<div class="twitter-block" draggable="false">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
<p dir="ltr" lang="pt">Bravo.</p>
— Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) <a href="https://twitter.com/IncredibleCulk/status/1349248652234035200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Earlier in an interview, the film's director Christopher Columbus had revealed that Donald Trump's cameo in the film was at his own request. Trump had reportedly allowed the crew to film at the Plaza with the condition that he would have a cameo in the film.<br />
<br />
"We paid the fee, but he also said, 'The only way you can use the Plaza is if I'm in the movie,'" Columbus told Insider in November last year. "So we agreed to put him in the movie."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/thought-it-was-like-dying-chrissy-teigen-cardi-b-mark-hamill-and-others-react-to-donald-trumps-impeachment-news-356673">Chrissy Teigen, Cardi B and others react to Trump's impeachment news</a></strong><br />
<br />
On Wednesday, Trump became the first American President to be impeached twice. Trump was impeached for inciting violence at the Capitol last week when a mob of his followers broke into the Capitol building.&nbsp;</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/canadian-channel-deletes-donald-trumps-scene-from-home-alone-2-claim-its-not-politically-motivated-270478">Also read:&nbsp;Canadian channel deletes Donald Trump's scene from 'Home Alone 2'; claim it's not politically motivated</a></p>


Actor Macaulay Culkin, best known for playing Kevin McCallister in the 1990s classic 'Home Alone' is not a fan of Donald Trump. On Wednesday, the actor showed his support to one fan's call for the removal of President Trump from a scene in 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'.

Actor Macaulay Culkin, best known for playing Kevin McCallister in the 1990s classic 'Home Alone' is not a fan of Donald Trump. On Wednesday, the actor showed his support to one fan's call for the removal of President Trump from a scene in 'Home Alone 2: Lost in New York'. Trump had a cameo appearance in the film where Culkin's character Kevin McCallister visited the Plaza which was owned by the US President at that time. After one fan tweeted, "Petition to digitally replace trump in 'home alone 2' with 40-year-old macaulay culkin," Culkin replied, "Sold." Sold. — Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) January 13, 2021 × Another fan took a step further and edited Trump out of the particular scene with a young Culking walking around the Plaza Hotel and asking no one in particular, "Excuse me, where is the lobby?" The clip then cuts to silence where actually Trump's single line used to be. Culkin replied to the post with a "Bravo." Bravo. — Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) January 13, 2021 × Earlier in an interview, the film's director Christopher Columbus had revealed that Donald Trump's cameo in the film was at his own request. Trump had reportedly allowed the crew to film at the Plaza with the condition that he would have a cameo in the film. "We paid the fee, but he also said, 'The only way you can use the Plaza is if I'm in the movie,'" Columbus told Insider in November last year. "So we agreed to put him in the movie." Also read: Chrissy Teigen, Cardi B and others react to Trump's impeachment news On Wednesday, Trump became the first American President to be impeached twice. Trump was impeached for inciting violence at the Capitol last week when a mob of his followers broke into the Capitol building. Also read: Canadian channel deletes Donald Trump's scene from 'Home Alone 2'; claim it's not politically motivated

Macaulay Culkin supports fan's demand to edit Donald Trump's scene from 'Home Alone 2'

<p>The threat of a $1 trillion U.S. sanctions hit on the Chinese internet giants that have led emerging market stocks to their first record high since 2007 is overshadowing the rally, just as increased scrutiny from Beijing itself squeezes valuations.<br />
<br />
US-Sino tensions ratcheted up in recent days as outgoing President Donald Trump`s administration pushed through a ban on Americans investing in 35 firms it considers to be linked to China`s military.<br />
<br />
Sources in Washington last week said Trump was considering adding Alibaba and Tencent, worth a combined $1.3 trillion, the second and third biggest EM stocks in the world and held by almost every major U.S. investment fund, to the list of banned firms.<br />
<br />
Targeting China`s two most valuable companies would be the most dramatic step yet against the country`s firms as Trump seeks to cement his hardline policy against Beijing during his final days in office.<br />
<br />
Goldman Sachs estimates that U.S. investors hold roughly $1 trillion of Chinese internet and tech stocks, or have U.S. listings known as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) that Washington has also been clamping down on.<br />
<br />
"To unwind 1 trillion of investment (if Alibaba and Tencent were removed) is a lot!" said Vivian Lin Thurston, a portfolio manager and Chinese equity analyst at William Blair Investment Management.<br />
<br />
"It would be unprecedented," she added. "It hasn`t happened before in any global market."<br />
<br />
Swiss bank UBS calculates that just over a third of Alibaba`s $616 billion market cap is held by U.S. investors, while 12% of Tencent`s $35 billion value is.<br />
<br />
The two firms also account for almost 11% of MSCI`s $7 trillion Emerging Market index which they respectively joined in 2015 and 2008. Chinese firms now make up 40% of the index, up from just 17% a decade ago.<br />
<br />
<strong>THE BIG UNWIND</strong><br />
<br />
Global index providers such as MSCI, S&amp;P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell as well as the New York Stock Exchange have been forced to eject high profile firms on Trump`s list like China Mobile, China Telecom and semiconductor giant SMIC from their top benchmarks.<br />
<br />
William Blair`s Lin Thurston explained how those removals then trigger a wave of selling by investment funds that passively track the indexes.<br />
<br />
"As soon as it is delisted - bang it`s gone," she said referring to the need to shed the stocks.<br />
<br />
While incoming President Joe Biden could reverse the ban, analysts at UBS say the new administration may not want to appear "soft" on China.<br />
<br />
Neither Biden nor his team have commented on the matter, but a reversal still wouldn`t undo the billions of dollars of disruption already caused.<br />
<br />
Chinese investors have swooped in to buy up some of the offloaded shares but may struggle to absorb everything if things snowball.<br />
<br />
Goldman Sachs estimates there would be a $28 billion selloff if every international fund tracking MSCI`s main global, emerging market or Asia indexes were to liquidate holdings of the 42 Chinese firms its views as at risk, not including Tencent or Alibaba.<br />
<br />
It and fellow Wall Street banks JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have also said they will withdraw as many as 500 Hong Kong-listed structured products they had issued linked to the Chinese firms.<br />
<br />
<strong>ANT PROBLEMS</strong><br />
<br />
The Trump administration has had both Tencent and Alibaba`s financial technology affiliate Ant Group in its crosshairs for some time.<br />
<br />
Just last week, Trump signed an executive order banning U.S. transactions with Alibaba`s Alipay mobile payment app and Tencent`s WeChat and QQ Wallet over concerns they could be used to "track the locations of federal employees" and "build dossiers of personal information".<br />
<br />
China`s foreign ministry responded saying the U.S. was abusing its power and unreasonably suppressing foreign firms with the measures.<br />
<br />
Tencent and Alibaba have declined to comment.<br />
<br />
In early November, it was Beijing itself though that rattled investors after the surprise suspension of Ant Group’s $37 billion public listing, set to be the world’s largest stock market debut, with just days to go.<br />
<br />
Alibaba, which owns about a third of Ant, has seen its market value shrink by more than a quarter since the IPO was shelved and regulators zeroed in on its business model, although it is still among the biggest 10 companies globally with a valuation of more than $600 billion.<br />
<br />
Some fund managers considered Beijing`s move a sensible one as Ant, a major online lender, lacked adequate capital buffers. But others like Aviva Investors` Head of Global Emerging Market Equities Alistair Way are concerned.<br />
<br />
"We have become rather more nervous about the regulatory climate in China and the seeming desire to reduce competitive dominance of big e-commerce players such as Alibaba," he said.<br />
<br />
"In aggregate we have been reducing exposure to Chinese internet firms."<br />
<br />
Standard Life Aberdeen senior investment director Nick Robinson is also unsure.<br />
<br />
"It feels unlikely at the moment that they (Alibaba and Tencent) will be added to the blacklist, but so far it hasn`t been right to bet on a de-escalation."<br />
<br />
"So could it happen? Absolutely. And if it does happen it could be quite significant."</p>


The threat of a $1 trillion U.S. sanctions hit on the Chinese internet giants that have led emerging market stocks to their first record high since 2007 is overshadowing the rally, just as increased scrutiny from Beijing itself squeezes valuations.

The threat of a $1 trillion U.S. sanctions hit on the Chinese internet giants that have led emerging market stocks to their first record high since 2007 is overshadowing the rally, just as increased scrutiny from Beijing itself squeezes valuations. US-Sino tensions ratcheted up in recent days as outgoing President Donald Trump`s administration pushed through a ban on Americans investing in 35 firms it considers to be linked to China`s military. Sources in Washington last week said Trump was considering adding Alibaba and Tencent, worth a combined $1.3 trillion, the second and third biggest EM stocks in the world and held by almost every major U.S. investment fund, to the list of banned firms. Targeting China`s two most valuable companies would be the most dramatic step yet against the country`s firms as Trump seeks to cement his hardline policy against Beijing during his final days in office. Goldman Sachs estimates that U.S. investors hold roughly $1 trillion of Chinese internet and tech stocks, or have U.S. listings known as American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) that Washington has also been clamping down on. "To unwind 1 trillion of investment (if Alibaba and Tencent were removed) is a lot!" said Vivian Lin Thurston, a portfolio manager and Chinese equity analyst at William Blair Investment Management. "It would be unprecedented," she added. "It hasn`t happened before in any global market." Swiss bank UBS calculates that just over a third of Alibaba`s $616 billion market cap is held by U.S. investors, while 12% of Tencent`s $35 billion value is. The two firms also account for almost 11% of MSCI`s $7 trillion Emerging Market index which they respectively joined in 2015 and 2008. Chinese firms now make up 40% of the index, up from just 17% a decade ago. THE BIG UNWIND Global index providers such as MSCI, S&P Dow Jones and FTSE Russell as well as the New York Stock Exchange have been forced to eject high profile firms on Trump`s list like China Mobile, China Telecom and semiconductor giant SMIC from their top benchmarks. William Blair`s Lin Thurston explained how those removals then trigger a wave of selling by investment funds that passively track the indexes. "As soon as it is delisted - bang it`s gone," she said referring to the need to shed the stocks. While incoming President Joe Biden could reverse the ban, analysts at UBS say the new administration may not want to appear "soft" on China. Neither Biden nor his team have commented on the matter, but a reversal still wouldn`t undo the billions of dollars of disruption already caused. Chinese investors have swooped in to buy up some of the offloaded shares but may struggle to absorb everything if things snowball. Goldman Sachs estimates there would be a $28 billion selloff if every international fund tracking MSCI`s main global, emerging market or Asia indexes were to liquidate holdings of the 42 Chinese firms its views as at risk, not including Tencent or Alibaba. It and fellow Wall Street banks JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have also said they will withdraw as many as 500 Hong Kong-listed structured products they had issued linked to the Chinese firms. ANT PROBLEMS The Trump administration has had both Tencent and Alibaba`s financial technology affiliate Ant Group in its crosshairs for some time. Just last week, Trump signed an executive order banning U.S. transactions with Alibaba`s Alipay mobile payment app and Tencent`s WeChat and QQ Wallet over concerns they could be used to "track the locations of federal employees" and "build dossiers of personal information". China`s foreign ministry responded saying the U.S. was abusing its power and unreasonably suppressing foreign firms with the measures. Tencent and Alibaba have declined to comment. In early November, it was Beijing itself though that rattled investors after the surprise suspension of Ant Group’s $37 billion public listing, set to be the world’s largest stock market debut, with just days to go. Alibaba, which owns about a third of Ant, has seen its market value shrink by more than a quarter since the IPO was shelved and regulators zeroed in on its business model, although it is still among the biggest 10 companies globally with a valuation of more than $600 billion. Some fund managers considered Beijing`s move a sensible one as Ant, a major online lender, lacked adequate capital buffers. But others like Aviva Investors` Head of Global Emerging Market Equities Alistair Way are concerned. "We have become rather more nervous about the regulatory climate in China and the seeming desire to reduce competitive dominance of big e-commerce players such as Alibaba," he said. "In aggregate we have been reducing exposure to Chinese internet firms." Standard Life Aberdeen senior investment director Nick Robinson is also unsure. "It feels unlikely at the moment that they (Alibaba and Tencent) will be added to the blacklist, but so far it hasn`t been right to bet on a de-escalation." "So could it happen? Absolutely. And if it does happen it could be quite significant."

The trillion dollar weapon in the U.S.-China tech stock war

<p>Democrats in the US House of Representatives will most likely introduce a legislation on Monday urging the impeachment of President Donald Trump.</p>

<p>Representative Ted Lieu said in a tweet on Saturday said there were now 180 co-sponsors for one new article of impeachment following rioting in the US Capitol on Wednesday by Trump supporters.</p>

<p>Lieu was an active participant in the December 2019 House impeachment of Trump that ultimately failed in the Senate.</p>

<p>Trump quite apparently exhorted thousands of supporters to march on the Capitol as Congress met to certify his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, prompting chaos in which crowds breached the building, forced the evacuation of both chambers and left a police officer and four others dead in their wake.</p>

<p>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that if Trump did not resign, she had instructed the House Rules Committee to move ahead with a motion for impeachment and legislation on the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which provides for removal of a president who is unable to discharge his official duties.</p>

<p>Democrats hope the impeachment threat will intensify pressure on Vice-President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment before Trump's term ends in less than two weeks.</p>

<p>A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Thursday and Friday found 57 per cent of Americans want Trump to be removed immediately from office following the violence. Nearly 70 per cent also disapproved of Trump's actions in the run-up to the Capitol rampage.</p>

<p>Trump's role in encouraging Wednesday's chaos has opened a growing rift within the Republican Party too.</p>

<p>It is unclear whether lawmakers would be able to remove Trump from office, as any impeachment would prompt a trial in the Senate, where his fellow Republicans still hold power and two-thirds of the 100 members must vote to convict for his removal.</p>

<p><em><strong>(with inputs)</strong></em></p>


Democrats in the US House of Representatives will most likely introduce a legislation on Monday urging the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Representative Ted Lieu said in a tweet on Saturday said there were now 180 co-sponsors for one new article of impeachment following rioting in the US Capitol on Wednesday by Trump supporters.

Democrats in the US House of Representatives will most likely introduce a legislation on Monday urging the impeachment of President Donald Trump. Representative Ted Lieu said in a tweet on Saturday said there were now 180 co-sponsors for one new article of impeachment following rioting in the US Capitol on Wednesday by Trump supporters. Lieu was an active participant in the December 2019 House impeachment of Trump that ultimately failed in the Senate. Trump quite apparently exhorted thousands of supporters to march on the Capitol as Congress met to certify his defeat to Democrat Joe Biden, prompting chaos in which crowds breached the building, forced the evacuation of both chambers and left a police officer and four others dead in their wake. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Friday that if Trump did not resign, she had instructed the House Rules Committee to move ahead with a motion for impeachment and legislation on the US Constitution's 25th Amendment, which provides for removal of a president who is unable to discharge his official duties. Democrats hope the impeachment threat will intensify pressure on Vice-President Mike Pence and the Cabinet to invoke the 25th Amendment before Trump's term ends in less than two weeks. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted Thursday and Friday found 57 per cent of Americans want Trump to be removed immediately from office following the violence. Nearly 70 per cent also disapproved of Trump's actions in the run-up to the Capitol rampage. Trump's role in encouraging Wednesday's chaos has opened a growing rift within the Republican Party too. It is unclear whether lawmakers would be able to remove Trump from office, as any impeachment would prompt a trial in the Senate, where his fellow Republicans still hold power and two-thirds of the 100 members must vote to convict for his removal. (with inputs)

US House Democrats to introduce Trump impeachment article on Monday

<p>Former First Lady Michelle <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/barack-obama?page=1">Obama</a> took to social media platform Twitter to condemn the infamous riots carried out by outgoing US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>'s supporters who refused to acknowledge <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden's</a> win in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections 2020</a>.</p>

<p>"All I know is that now is a time for true patriotism. Now is the time for those who voted for this president to see the reality of what they've supported—and publicly and forcefully rebuke him and the actions of that mob," she said.</p>

<p>While she said the riots had raised several questions about "security, extremism, propaganda, and more", she cannot stop thinking about what the treatment and reaction from the police and government&nbsp;would have been if the rioters looked different. "There's one question I just can't shake: What if these rioters had looked like the folks who go to Ebenezer Baptist Church every Sunday? What would have been different?," she wrote.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Like all of you, I’ve been feeling so many emotions since yesterday. I tried to put my thoughts down here: <a href="https://t.co/9xzRvrpk7y">pic.twitter.com/9xzRvrpk7y</a></p>
— Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/1347284244763127810?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>She also called upon the social media networks and urged them to ban Trump from their respective platforms, in order to bring peace as many believe Trump had been inciting and promoting violence through his posts.</p>

<p>"Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior—and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technology from being used by the nation's leaders to fuel insurrection," she said.</p>

<p>Trump was, within few hours, 'indefinitely' banned from <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/facebook-has-banned-donald-trump-indefinitely-says-mark-zuckerberg-355214">Facebook</a> and temporarily banned from twitter — <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/after-various-bans-donald-trump-makes-a-comeback-on-twitter-355250">but he returned to Twitter within 12 hours</a>.</p>

<p>Michelle's husband and former US President, Barack Obama, too, had earlier expressed disappointment over the riots through a statement on Twitter. Describing it as a moment of "great dishonor and shame for our nation", he blamed Donald Trump for the riots. "History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselssly lie about the outcome of a lawful election," he said.&nbsp;</p>


Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to social media platform Twitter to condemn the infamous riots carried out by outgoing US President Donald Trump's supporters who refused to acknowledge Joe Biden's win in the US elections 2020.

Former First Lady Michelle Obama took to social media platform Twitter to condemn the infamous riots carried out by outgoing US President Donald Trump's supporters who refused to acknowledge Joe Biden's win in the US elections 2020. "All I know is that now is a time for true patriotism. Now is the time for those who voted for this president to see the reality of what they've supported—and publicly and forcefully rebuke him and the actions of that mob," she said. While she said the riots had raised several questions about "security, extremism, propaganda, and more", she cannot stop thinking about what the treatment and reaction from the police and government would have been if the rioters looked different. "There's one question I just can't shake: What if these rioters had looked like the folks who go to Ebenezer Baptist Church every Sunday? What would have been different?," she wrote. Like all of you, I’ve been feeling so many emotions since yesterday. I tried to put my thoughts down here: pic.twitter.com/9xzRvrpk7y — Michelle Obama (@MichelleObama) January 7, 2021 × She also called upon the social media networks and urged them to ban Trump from their respective platforms, in order to bring peace as many believe Trump had been inciting and promoting violence through his posts. "Now is the time for Silicon Valley companies to stop enabling this monstrous behavior—and go even further than they have already by permanently banning this man from their platforms and putting in place policies to prevent their technology from being used by the nation's leaders to fuel insurrection," she said. Trump was, within few hours, 'indefinitely' banned from Facebook and temporarily banned from twitter — but he returned to Twitter within 12 hours. Michelle's husband and former US President, Barack Obama, too, had earlier expressed disappointment over the riots through a statement on Twitter. Describing it as a moment of "great dishonor and shame for our nation", he blamed Donald Trump for the riots. "History will rightly remember today's violence at the Capitol, incited by a sitting president who has continued to baselssly lie about the outcome of a lawful election," he said.

'I hurt for our country': Michelle Obama, reacts after Capitol riots

<p>After an eventful day in the US, the outgoing President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has now made a comeback on his favourite social media platform Twitter — merely after 12 hours of facing a ban.</p>

<p>Trump was banned from social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook after being accused of promoting and inciting violence through his posts.</p>

<p>However, this time when Trump made a comeback on Twitter condemning the rioters and the protestors who took over the Capitol creating chaos. Trump also, for the first time, openly acknowledged his rival President-elect Joe Biden's win in the recently concluded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/us-election">US elections 2020</a>.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-condemns-capitol-hill-violence-says-rioters-defiled-seat-of-democracy-355246">Trump condemns Capitol Hill violence, says rioters defiled seat of democracy</a></strong></p>

<p>"Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and the mayhem. I immediately deploy the national guard and the federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders," he can be heard saying in the video message.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/csX07ZVWGe">pic.twitter.com/csX07ZVWGe</a></p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1347334804052844550?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>Finally calling out the rioters, he warned that these people who infiltrated the Capitol are not a true representation of the United States of America and those who broke the law "will pay".</p>

<p>"We have just been through an intense election and emotions are high. But now, tempers must be cooled and calm restored. We must get on with the business of America," he requested the rioters.</p>

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/your-story-national-guardsmen-pour-into-dc-to-respond-to-capitol-hill-rioters-355243"><strong>WATCH|</strong></a></p>

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<p>He also sent out a message hinting that he has finally conceded, and requested his supporters to stop rioting and face the truth of his defeat. "My campaign rigorously to contest the election results. My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In so doing, I was fighting to defend American democracy. I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in future all elections," he admitted.</p>

<p>"<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-us-lawmakers-confirm-bidens-win-after-mayhem-on-us-capitol-355239">Now Congress has certified the results</a>. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation," he said for the first time, months after the election result&nbsp;was made clear.</p>

<p>He also called on to his supporters to recall the pain and loss they and their fellow citizens have been through in the pandemic year of 2020 and now come together as one nation.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Serving as your president has been the honour of my lifetime," he said, thanking his supporters for standing by him all through the election drama. "And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning."</p>


After an eventful day in the US, the outgoing President Donald Trump has now made a comeback on his favourite social media platform Twitter — merely after 12 hours of facing a ban.

After an eventful day in the US, the outgoing President Donald Trump has now made a comeback on his favourite social media platform Twitter — merely after 12 hours of facing a ban. Trump was banned from social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook after being accused of promoting and inciting violence through his posts. However, this time when Trump made a comeback on Twitter condemning the rioters and the protestors who took over the Capitol creating chaos. Trump also, for the first time, openly acknowledged his rival President-elect Joe Biden's win in the recently concluded US elections 2020. Also read| Trump condemns Capitol Hill violence, says rioters defiled seat of democracy "Like all Americans, I am outraged by the violence, lawlessness and the mayhem. I immediately deploy the national guard and the federal law enforcement to secure the building and expel the intruders," he can be heard saying in the video message. pic.twitter.com/csX07ZVWGe — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 8, 2021 × Finally calling out the rioters, he warned that these people who infiltrated the Capitol are not a true representation of the United States of America and those who broke the law "will pay". "We have just been through an intense election and emotions are high. But now, tempers must be cooled and calm restored. We must get on with the business of America," he requested the rioters. WATCH| × He also sent out a message hinting that he has finally conceded, and requested his supporters to stop rioting and face the truth of his defeat. "My campaign rigorously to contest the election results. My only goal was to ensure the integrity of the vote. In so doing, I was fighting to defend American democracy. I continue to strongly believe that we must reform our election laws to verify the identity and eligibility of all voters and to ensure faith and confidence in future all elections," he admitted. "Now Congress has certified the results. A new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th. My focus now turns to ensuring a smooth, orderly and seamless transition of power. This moment calls for healing and reconciliation," he said for the first time, months after the election result was made clear. He also called on to his supporters to recall the pain and loss they and their fellow citizens have been through in the pandemic year of 2020 and now come together as one nation. "Serving as your president has been the honour of my lifetime," he said, thanking his supporters for standing by him all through the election drama. "And to all of my wonderful supporters, I know you are disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is only just beginning."

After various bans, Donald Trump makes a comeback on Twitter

<p>Singer Selena Gomez has called out social media platforms for their role in the riots that took place in the Capitol building in Washington DC on Wednesday.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
The singer shared a message on Twitter and explained that she felt the platforms and their top executives had a major role to play in the riots that attempted insurrection.&nbsp;<br />
<br />
"Today is the result of allowing people with hate in their hearts to use platforms that should be used to bring together and allow people to build community," Gomez wrote on Twitter.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Jack Dorsey, Sundar Pichai, Susan Wojcicki - you have all failed the American people today, and I hope you're going to fix things moving forward," she further added.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="de">. <a href="https://twitter.com/Facebook?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/instagram?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Instagram</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Twitter?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Twitter</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/Google?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Google</a>, Mark Zuckerberg, <a href="https://twitter.com/sherylsandberg?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SherylSandberg</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/jack?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jack</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/sundarpichai?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Sundarpichai</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/SusanWojcicki?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SusanWojcicki</a> <a href="https://t.co/df3ZLR5Ruk">pic.twitter.com/df3ZLR5Ruk</a></p>
— Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) <a href="https://twitter.com/selenagomez/status/1346996209643376642?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>In her tweet, she tagged executives like Sheryl Sandberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and others. Her tweet came hours after thousands of pro-Trump supporters took to the Capitol, breaking barricades and storming inside.<br />
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Thousands of the rioters shouting "Trump" and "USA, USA" overwhelmed the police and pushed the barriers around the Capitol and rushed after the joint session adjourned for the Senate and the House of Representatives met separately to consider objections to the Electoral College votes from Arizona.<br />
<br />
The riot started when Congress that was holding a joint session to ratify the Electoral College votes electing Democrats Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President.</p>


Singer Selena Gomez has called out social media platforms for their role in the riots that took place in the Capitol building in Washington DC on Wednesday. The singer shared a message on Twitter and explained that she felt the platforms and their top executives had a major role to play in the riots that attempted insurrection.

Singer Selena Gomez has called out social media platforms for their role in the riots that took place in the Capitol building in Washington DC on Wednesday. The singer shared a message on Twitter and explained that she felt the platforms and their top executives had a major role to play in the riots that attempted insurrection. "Today is the result of allowing people with hate in their hearts to use platforms that should be used to bring together and allow people to build community," Gomez wrote on Twitter. "Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Google, Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg, Jack Dorsey, Sundar Pichai, Susan Wojcicki - you have all failed the American people today, and I hope you're going to fix things moving forward," she further added. . @Facebook, @Instagram, @Twitter, @Google, Mark Zuckerberg, @SherylSandberg, @jack, @Sundarpichai, @SusanWojcicki pic.twitter.com/df3ZLR5Ruk — Selena Gomez (@selenagomez) January 7, 2021 × In her tweet, she tagged executives like Sheryl Sandberg, Mark Zuckerberg, Sundar Pichai and others. Her tweet came hours after thousands of pro-Trump supporters took to the Capitol, breaking barricades and storming inside. Thousands of the rioters shouting "Trump" and "USA, USA" overwhelmed the police and pushed the barriers around the Capitol and rushed after the joint session adjourned for the Senate and the House of Representatives met separately to consider objections to the Electoral College votes from Arizona. The riot started when Congress that was holding a joint session to ratify the Electoral College votes electing Democrats Joe Biden as President and Kamala Harris as Vice President.

Selena Gomez calls out social media platforms for aggregating the riots at Capitol Hill

<p>The outgoing US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> has only a few days left in the White House, but it looks like scandals are not ready to give up on him. This time, Trump is back in news for a leaked audio tape in which he can be heard asking his aides to "find votes" for him in the recently concluded <a href="https://www.wionews.com/us-election">US election 2020</a>.</p>

<p>Local US media has released an audio tape on Sunday in which Trump can be heard pressurising the Georgia's secretary of state to "find" enough votes for him to overturn his dreaded defeat in the elections against the President-elect Joe Biden.</p>

<p>"There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you've recalculated (the vote tally)," Trump can be heard saying on the tape. "You're off by hundreds of thousands of votes."</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-lambasts-trumps-georgia-phone-call-as-abuse-of-power-354263" hreflang="en">Kamala Harris lambasts Trump's Georgia phone call as 'abuse of power'</a></strong></p>

<p>Much to Trump's disappointment, the other person present in the room can be geard replying "Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong."</p>

<p>Trump's audio tape also points towards his threats towards&nbsp;Republican Brad Raffensperger, telling him that they face "a big risk" if his state fails to take steps to flip the election result in favour of Trump.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Trouble has further mounted for <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a>, as in a new audio recording that has come to light, he can be heard pressurising Georgia's top election officials to help overturn the election result. <a href="https://twitter.com/PriyankaSh25?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PriyankaSh25</a> speaks to <a href="https://twitter.com/Jags_Dave?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Jags_Dave</a> for more <a href="https://t.co/VsvJcg9h3W">pic.twitter.com/VsvJcg9h3W</a></p>
— WION (@WIONews) <a href="https://twitter.com/WIONews/status/1345963166035918849?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 4, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>His disappointment and much-desperate attempt of finding votes came as Biden created history by winning the Republican-majority state. "The current margin is only 11,779. Brad, I think you agree with that, right?"&nbsp;Trump says. "So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes."</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345731043861659650?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>After the release of the tape, Trump, expectedly, took to Twitter to say that he had a conversation with the Raffensperger who was unwilling to answer questions about voter scam. "I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!," Trump tweeted.</p>

<p>However, the Georgia leader tweeted back denying these accusations. "Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out," he said.</p>

<p>The interesting thing to note in this controversy is that even if Georgia would have been successfull in this&nbsp;hypothetical reversal, Biden would have secured the win by&nbsp;a margin of 306 to 232.</p>


The outgoing US President Donald Trump has only a few days left in the White House, but it looks like scandals are not ready to give up on him. This time, Trump is back in news for a leaked audio tape in which he can be heard asking his aides to "find votes" for him in the recently concluded US election 2020.

The outgoing US President Donald Trump has only a few days left in the White House, but it looks like scandals are not ready to give up on him. This time, Trump is back in news for a leaked audio tape in which he can be heard asking his aides to "find votes" for him in the recently concluded US election 2020. Local US media has released an audio tape on Sunday in which Trump can be heard pressurising the Georgia's secretary of state to "find" enough votes for him to overturn his dreaded defeat in the elections against the President-elect Joe Biden. "There's nothing wrong with saying, you know, um, that you've recalculated (the vote tally)," Trump can be heard saying on the tape. "You're off by hundreds of thousands of votes." Also read| Kamala Harris lambasts Trump's Georgia phone call as 'abuse of power' Much to Trump's disappointment, the other person present in the room can be geard replying "Well, Mr. President, the challenge that you have is, the data you have is wrong." Trump's audio tape also points towards his threats towards Republican Brad Raffensperger, telling him that they face "a big risk" if his state fails to take steps to flip the election result in favour of Trump. Trouble has further mounted for @realDonaldTrump, as in a new audio recording that has come to light, he can be heard pressurising Georgia's top election officials to help overturn the election result. @PriyankaSh25 speaks to @Jags_Dave for more pic.twitter.com/VsvJcg9h3W — WION (@WIONews) January 4, 2021 × His disappointment and much-desperate attempt of finding votes came as Biden created history by winning the Republican-majority state. "The current margin is only 11,779. Brad, I think you agree with that, right?" Trump says. "So look. All I want to do is this. I just want to find 11,780 votes." I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021 × After the release of the tape, Trump, expectedly, took to Twitter to say that he had a conversation with the Raffensperger who was unwilling to answer questions about voter scam. "I spoke to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger yesterday about Fulton County and voter fraud in Georgia. He was unwilling, or unable, to answer questions such as the “ballots under table” scam, ballot destruction, out of state “voters”, dead voters, and more. He has no clue!," Trump tweeted. However, the Georgia leader tweeted back denying these accusations. "Respectfully, President Trump: What you're saying is not true. The truth will come out," he said. The interesting thing to note in this controversy is that even if Georgia would have been successfull in this hypothetical reversal, Biden would have secured the win by a margin of 306 to 232.

Donald Trump's leaked audio tape reveals he wanted to 'find' votes to win US election

<p>The outgoing US President Donald Trump has once again accused the states and the top US&nbsp;infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci of exaggerating the coronavirus cases and death tally in the country.</p>

<p>As the country struggled to meet the rising demand for the COVID-19 vaccines, Trump&nbsp;took to Twitter to spread panic and chaos through his tweets accusing officials of spreading&nbsp;'fake news'. "The number of cases and deaths of the China Virus is far exaggerated in the United States because of&nbsp;@CDCgov’s ridiculous method of determination compared to other countries, many of whom report, purposely, very inaccurately and low. “When in doubt, call it Covid.” Fake News!," he tweeted.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The number of cases and deaths of the China Virus is far exaggerated in the United States because of <a href="https://twitter.com/CDCgov?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CDCgov</a>’s ridiculous method of determination compared to other countries, many of whom report, purposely, very inaccurately and low. “When in doubt, call it Covid.” Fake News!</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345720107255926784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>The tweet came as the country passed the mark of&nbsp;350,000&nbsp; deaths caused by the novel coronavirus. The US is struggling to contain the spread of the deadly virus, especially after identification of the new variants of COVID-19.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trumps-leaked-audio-tape-reveals-he-wanted-to-find-votes-to-win-us-election-354264" hreflang="en">Donald Trump's leaked audio tape reveals he wanted to 'find' votes</a></strong></p>

<p>Anthony Fauci, who has been on the bad side of the outgoing President for the past few months now, however, feels trump should "go into the trenches" to take a reality check of the situation in the country he has lead for the past four years. "Go into the hospitals, go into the intensive care units and see what is happening. Those are real numbers, real people and real deaths," Fauci said in an interview with the local media.</p>

<p>Turns out, Fauci is not the only one who disagrees with Trump's claims.&nbsp;Dr Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, also disagreed with trump's claims of the figures being 'exaggerated'.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kamala-harris-lambasts-trumps-georgia-phone-call-as-abuse-of-power-354263">Kamala Harris lambasts Trump's Georgia phone call as 'abuse of power'</a></strong></p>

<p>"I have no reason to doubt those numbers, and I think people need to be very aware that it’s not just about the deaths, as we talked about earlier," Adams told the local media. "It’s about the hospitalisations, the capacity, these cases are having an impact in an array of ways, and people need to understand that there’s a finish line in sight but we’ve got to keep running towards it."</p>

<p>However, Trump — rarely known to take defeat in a healthy way — shot back at Fauci directly through another tweet saying, "Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional, having done, they say, such an incredible job, yet he works for me and the Trump Administration, and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee, could this just be more Fake News?"</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional, having done, they say, such an incredible job, yet he works for me and the Trump Administration, and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee, could this just be more Fake News?</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1345749709592342530?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2021</a></blockquote>
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<p>While the Trump-Fauci war continues, the health expert has, however, taken responsibility and has said there are "no excuses" for the delay in the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines. The US officials had predicted of administering the vaccines to at least 20 million by January 01. However, till now, not even four million people have been&nbsp;given the vaccine.</p>

<p><strong>Also read|&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/anthony-fauci-denies-following-uks-decision-to-delay-covid-19-vaccines-second-dose-354113">Anthony Fauci denies following UK's decision to delay COVID-19 vaccine's second dose</a></strong></p>

<p>"We’re not where we want to be," Fauci admitted on national television. "We’ve got to do much better, but let’s give it about a week or two into January to see if we can pick up momentum that was slowed down by the holiday season."</p>

<p>The rebuke from Fauci against trump has come at a time when the outgoing President has been caught in yet another controversy due to a leaked audio tape in which trump cna be heard asking the Georgia state leader to 'find' votes for him and overturn Joe Biden's election victory.</p>


The outgoing US President Donald Trump has once again accused the states and the top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci of exaggerating the coronavirus cases and death tally in the country.

The outgoing US President Donald Trump has once again accused the states and the top US infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci of exaggerating the coronavirus cases and death tally in the country. As the country struggled to meet the rising demand for the COVID-19 vaccines, Trump took to Twitter to spread panic and chaos through his tweets accusing officials of spreading 'fake news'. "The number of cases and deaths of the China Virus is far exaggerated in the United States because of @CDCgov’s ridiculous method of determination compared to other countries, many of whom report, purposely, very inaccurately and low. “When in doubt, call it Covid.” Fake News!," he tweeted. The number of cases and deaths of the China Virus is far exaggerated in the United States because of @CDCgov’s ridiculous method of determination compared to other countries, many of whom report, purposely, very inaccurately and low. “When in doubt, call it Covid.” Fake News! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021 × The tweet came as the country passed the mark of 350,000 deaths caused by the novel coronavirus. The US is struggling to contain the spread of the deadly virus, especially after identification of the new variants of COVID-19. Also read| Donald Trump's leaked audio tape reveals he wanted to 'find' votes Anthony Fauci, who has been on the bad side of the outgoing President for the past few months now, however, feels trump should "go into the trenches" to take a reality check of the situation in the country he has lead for the past four years. "Go into the hospitals, go into the intensive care units and see what is happening. Those are real numbers, real people and real deaths," Fauci said in an interview with the local media. Turns out, Fauci is not the only one who disagrees with Trump's claims. Dr Jerome Adams, the surgeon general, also disagreed with trump's claims of the figures being 'exaggerated'. Also read| Kamala Harris lambasts Trump's Georgia phone call as 'abuse of power' "I have no reason to doubt those numbers, and I think people need to be very aware that it’s not just about the deaths, as we talked about earlier," Adams told the local media. "It’s about the hospitalisations, the capacity, these cases are having an impact in an array of ways, and people need to understand that there’s a finish line in sight but we’ve got to keep running towards it." However, Trump — rarely known to take defeat in a healthy way — shot back at Fauci directly through another tweet saying, "Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional, having done, they say, such an incredible job, yet he works for me and the Trump Administration, and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee, could this just be more Fake News?" Something how Dr. Fauci is revered by the LameStream Media as such a great professional, having done, they say, such an incredible job, yet he works for me and the Trump Administration, and I am in no way given any credit for my work. Gee, could this just be more Fake News? — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2021 × While the Trump-Fauci war continues, the health expert has, however, taken responsibility and has said there are "no excuses" for the delay in the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines. The US officials had predicted of administering the vaccines to at least 20 million by January 01. However, till now, not even four million people have been given the vaccine. Also read| Anthony Fauci denies following UK's decision to delay COVID-19 vaccine's second dose "We’re not where we want to be," Fauci admitted on national television. "We’ve got to do much better, but let’s give it about a week or two into January to see if we can pick up momentum that was slowed down by the holiday season." The rebuke from Fauci against trump has come at a time when the outgoing President has been caught in yet another controversy due to a leaked audio tape in which trump cna be heard asking the Georgia state leader to 'find' votes for him and overturn Joe Biden's election victory.

'When in doubt, call it Covid': Trump accuses 'exaggeration' of tally; Fauci reacts

<p>Iran on Monday issued a warning to Israel not to cross its "red lines" in the Gulf after reports emerged that the country had deployed a submarine in the region.</p>

<p>Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed the Islamic republic would defend itself against any American military "adventure" in the runup to the January 20 handover of power in Washington.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/iran-accuses-israel-of-killing-nuclear-scientist-vows-revenge-345965">Iran accuses Israel of killing nuclear scientist, vows 'revenge'</a></strong></p>

<p>The statement came a week after the US Navy announced a nuclear submarine was being deployed to the Gulf, in a new show of force directed at Iran.</p>

<p>Earlier, Israeli media&nbsp;reported that the country's&nbsp;submarine has crossed the Suez Canal also headed for the Gulf, a report that has not been officially confirmed or denied.</p>

<p>Khatibzadeh told an online news conference,&nbsp;"Everyone knows what the Persian Gulf signifies for Iran. Countries&nbsp;very well how high the risk is raised if the red lines of Iran are crossed."</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/irans-khamenei-awards-military-medal-to-slain-nuclear-scientist-349483">Iran's Khamenei awards military medal to slain nuclear scientist</a></strong></p>

<p>Iran has threatened to attack Israel since the assassination of its top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in late November, in a raid blamed on the Jewish state.</p>

<p>In a strikingly similar move to the reported Israeli submarine crossing of the Suez Canal, a US nuclear submarine crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as the anniversary of the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone approached.</p>

<p>"We have sent messages to the US government and our friends in the region (warning) the current US regime not to embark on a new adventure in its final days at the White House," said Khatibzadeh.</p>

<p>He said Iran was not seeking to increase tension and called for "rational people in Washington" to take the same line until President-elect Joe Biden replaces Trump in the White House.</p>

<p>Decades-old tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal.</p>

<p>The arch enemies have twice come to the brink of war since June 2019, especially following the killing of Soleimani.</p>


Iran on Monday issued a warning to Israel not to cross its "red lines" in the Gulf after reports emerged that the country had deployed a submarine in the region.

Iran on Monday issued a warning to Israel not to cross its "red lines" in the Gulf after reports emerged that the country had deployed a submarine in the region. Foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh stressed the Islamic republic would defend itself against any American military "adventure" in the runup to the January 20 handover of power in Washington. Also read: Iran accuses Israel of killing nuclear scientist, vows 'revenge' The statement came a week after the US Navy announced a nuclear submarine was being deployed to the Gulf, in a new show of force directed at Iran. Earlier, Israeli media reported that the country's submarine has crossed the Suez Canal also headed for the Gulf, a report that has not been officially confirmed or denied. Khatibzadeh told an online news conference, "Everyone knows what the Persian Gulf signifies for Iran. Countries very well how high the risk is raised if the red lines of Iran are crossed." Also read: Iran's Khamenei awards military medal to slain nuclear scientist Iran has threatened to attack Israel since the assassination of its top nuclear scientist, Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, in late November, in a raid blamed on the Jewish state. In a strikingly similar move to the reported Israeli submarine crossing of the Suez Canal, a US nuclear submarine crossed the Strait of Hormuz on Monday as the anniversary of the killing of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani by a US drone approached. "We have sent messages to the US government and our friends in the region (warning) the current US regime not to embark on a new adventure in its final days at the White House," said Khatibzadeh. He said Iran was not seeking to increase tension and called for "rational people in Washington" to take the same line until President-elect Joe Biden replaces Trump in the White House. Decades-old tensions between Washington and Tehran have soared since 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from the Iran nuclear deal. The arch enemies have twice come to the brink of war since June 2019, especially following the killing of Soleimani.

Iran warns Israel not to cross ‘red lines’ in the Gulf after it deploys submarine

<p>China on Monday called "farce" and "out of political motives" on US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump's</a>&nbsp;accusations of Beijing being involved in a huge cyberattack in the United States. &nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump on Twitter on Saturday played down Russian involvement on the cyberattack on several US government agencies and said that China "may" also be involved, contradicting the comments made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;</strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/what-led-to-the-worst-cyber-attack-in-us-351238/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>"Russia Russia Russia is the priority chant when anything happens", Trump wrote and added that the cyberattack may have targeted the voting machines resulting in his loss in the presidential election.&nbsp;</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/russian-president-vladimir-putin-appreciates-spy-agency-after-us-hack-controversy-351221">Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates spy agency after US hack controversy</a></strong></p>

<p>Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said US's accusations against China have "always been a farce, out of political motives."&nbsp;</p>

<p>He also said that Trump's remarks are "not serious and self-contradictory".&nbsp;</p>

<p>"The US has politicised cybersecurity issues, continuously spread false information without conclusive evidence... in an attempt to destroy China's image and mislead the international community," Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump's Saturday tweets were in direct contrast with Pompeo's comments in which he said it was "pretty clear" that Russia was behind the act.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Several US officials have blamed Kremlin for the cyberattack and not Beijing.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Russia has denied any involvement in the attack.&nbsp;</p>


China on Monday called "farce" and "out of political motives" on US President Donald Trump's accusations of Beijing being involved in a huge cyberattack in the United States.

China on Monday called "farce" and "out of political motives" on US President Donald Trump's accusations of Beijing being involved in a huge cyberattack in the United States. Trump on Twitter on Saturday played down Russian involvement on the cyberattack on several US government agencies and said that China "may" also be involved, contradicting the comments made by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. Watch | "Russia Russia Russia is the priority chant when anything happens", Trump wrote and added that the cyberattack may have targeted the voting machines resulting in his loss in the presidential election. Also read | Russian President Vladimir Putin appreciates spy agency after US hack controversy Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said US's accusations against China have "always been a farce, out of political motives." He also said that Trump's remarks are "not serious and self-contradictory". "The US has politicised cybersecurity issues, continuously spread false information without conclusive evidence... in an attempt to destroy China's image and mislead the international community," Wang was quoted as saying by news agency AFP. Trump's Saturday tweets were in direct contrast with Pompeo's comments in which he said it was "pretty clear" that Russia was behind the act. Several US officials have blamed Kremlin for the cyberattack and not Beijing. Russia has denied any involvement in the attack.

China calls Trump's accusation 'farce' on involvement in cyberattack

<p>The announcement of the death of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman was the most shared on Twitter worldwide in 2020, and got the most "likes" of any Tweet ever, the social media platform said on Monday.<br />
<br />
The Aug. 28 post by Boseman`s family saying the actor had died of colon cancer at age 43 was "liked" some 7.6 million times, Twitter said, releasing data of the most shared events on its platform for 2020.<br />
<br />
US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, himself a prolific user of Twitter, was the person most tweeted about worldwide in 2020, followed by his Democratic opponent and winner in the November elections, Joe Biden.<br />
<br />
K-Pop group BTS were the No.1 most tweeted about musicians in the United States for a fourth straight year, reflecting the South Korean boy band`s milestones on the US singles charts and successes at award shows.<br />
<br />
Former US&nbsp;President Barack Obama`s tribute to Kobe Bryant as a "legend on the court" after the death of the basketball player in a helicopter crash in January, was second among likes and retweets.<br />
<br />
George Floyd, the Black man whose death in May in Minneapolis under the knee of a white police officer prompted worldwide protests against racism, was the third most tweeted about person in the world in 2020, while the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was the second-most popular after #COVID19, Twitter said.<br />
<br />
Rapper Kanye West, who ran for the White House in November and whose mental health raised concerns, took second place among musicians, Twitter said.<br />
&nbsp;</p>


The announcement of the death of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman was the most shared on Twitter worldwide in 2020, and got the most "likes" of any Tweet ever, the social media platform said on Monday.

The announcement of the death of "Black Panther" star Chadwick Boseman was the most shared on Twitter worldwide in 2020, and got the most "likes" of any Tweet ever, the social media platform said on Monday. The Aug. 28 post by Boseman`s family saying the actor had died of colon cancer at age 43 was "liked" some 7.6 million times, Twitter said, releasing data of the most shared events on its platform for 2020. US President Donald Trump, himself a prolific user of Twitter, was the person most tweeted about worldwide in 2020, followed by his Democratic opponent and winner in the November elections, Joe Biden. K-Pop group BTS were the No.1 most tweeted about musicians in the United States for a fourth straight year, reflecting the South Korean boy band`s milestones on the US singles charts and successes at award shows. Former US President Barack Obama`s tribute to Kobe Bryant as a "legend on the court" after the death of the basketball player in a helicopter crash in January, was second among likes and retweets. George Floyd, the Black man whose death in May in Minneapolis under the knee of a white police officer prompted worldwide protests against racism, was the third most tweeted about person in the world in 2020, while the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter was the second-most popular after #COVID19, Twitter said. Rapper Kanye West, who ran for the White House in November and whose mental health raised concerns, took second place among musicians, Twitter said.

Chadwick Boseman, Donald Trump and pop group BTS dominate Twitter in 2020

<p>NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on Friday requested US President <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a> to pardon&nbsp;WikiLeaks co-founder&nbsp;Julian Assange for&nbsp;espionage charges.</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency during your time in office, please: free Julian Assange. You alone can save his life. <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a></p>
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1334608745192677380?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Incumbent US President Donald Trump has a few weeks left in the White House, and now he wants to save his allies and children from prosecution. Once they leave the White House, Trump and his inner circle could be sued. Until Trump holds office, he is immune to any legal action.</p>

<p>Reportedly, Donald Trump is considering a way to keep his kids and allies safe from prosecution. Trump has discussed with his advisers whether he could fetch pre-emptive pardons to protect his three eldest children - Donald Trump Junior, Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump along with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/why-does-us-president-trump-want-pre-emptive-pardons-for-himself-and-family-347019/amp">Why does US President Trump want pre-emptive pardons for himself and family?</a></strong></p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/doctors-warning-julian-assange-could-die-in-uk-jail-281295/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

<p>The solicitation from Snowden came as Assange sits in a UK jail anticipating an adjudicator's decision, planned for January, on his removal to the US to confront an 18-check arraignment for supposed undercover work and connivance to submit hacking. Whenever indicted, he could confront a US jail sentence of as long as 175 years. He was captured in London in April 2019 in the wake of taking asylum in the Ecuadorian international safe haven for a very long time.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Assange distributed a huge number of released grouped records in 2010 and 2011 uncovering US military bad behavior. The 48-year-old is purportedly in chronic weakness following quite a while of repression. In excess of 60 specialists from eight distinct nations composed an open letter before the end of last year saying they were worried that he could bite the dust in care if he's not moved from the high-security Belmarsh Prison to an emergency clinic. Their solicitation was denied.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Snowden, the previous CIA and NSA temporary worker who uncovered mass reconnaissance of Americans by US insight administrations, was conceded perpetual residency in Russia in October subsequent to taking shelter in the nation since 2013. He's been accused of two tallies of reconnaissance and burglary of government property. Russia, which has no removal settlement with the US, recently conceded Snowden's impermanent refuge.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Trump's archetype, Barack Obama, denied Snowden's solicitation for an exculpation. In any case, Trump, who said in 2013 that Snowden was a "spy who should be executed," has reevaluated that position lately. Trump told correspondents in August that he would consider exculpating Snowden.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Individuals from the two sides of the US political separation have asked Trump to acquit Snowden and Assange. US Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) a month ago reestablished her requires the president to exculpate the two men, saying they uncovered the guiltiness of the covert government at extraordinary a disregard for one's own needs.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> Since you're giving pardons to people, please consider pardoning those who, at great personal sacrifice, exposed the deception and criminality of those in the deep state. <a href="https://t.co/aeXklUsNSd">https://t.co/aeXklUsNSd</a></p>
— Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) <a href="https://twitter.com/TulsiGabbard/status/1331919709055422473?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 26, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">if <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> wants to show everyone he's one of the people, anti establishment and not apart of the swamp, he would pardon<br />
<br />
1. Assange<br />
2. Snowden<br />
3. Ulbricht</p>
— Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lukewearechange/status/1332416756393025536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>After Gabbard was assaulted for supporting him, Snowden himself noticed that the general population has betrayed legislators who smear informants.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">Politicians take note: smearing whistleblowers and publishers with obvious bullshit no longer gets you showered in likes, it gets you ratioed by a furious public.<br />
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It is time to end the war on whistleblowers. <a href="https://t.co/bMfzUU5VCt">pic.twitter.com/bMfzUU5VCt</a></p>
— Edward Snowden (@Snowden) <a href="https://twitter.com/Snowden/status/1332694402549100547?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 28, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>Trump will have just until January 20 to make a move except if he's fruitful in getting the courts to topple Democrat Joe Biden's media-proclaimed political race triumph. Digital recording host Jen Perelman, a Florida Democrat who ran fruitlessly to take Debbie Wasserman-Shultz's legislative seat, proposed that Snowden's possibilities could be more awful under the following organization. "Is oversight going to be more regrettable under Biden?" she inquired.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Snowden prior uncovered that in 2013 then-VP Biden was considering nations around the globe to caution them that in the event that they award refuge to the informant, they will be confronted with "results" from Washington.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Different eyewitnesses applauded Snowden for asking Trump to consider Assange's case even before his own. "How tolerant and caring of you," one analyst said. Another stated, "The individuals of America and the world will be everlastingly thankful to the daring truth-tellers, be they informants or legitimate writers, regardless of whether they don't all acknowledge it yet."</p>


NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on Friday requested US President Donald Trump to pardon WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange for espionage charges. Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency during your time in office, please: free Julian Assange.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden on Friday requested US President Donald Trump to pardon WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange for espionage charges. Mr. President, if you grant only one act of clemency during your time in office, please: free Julian Assange. You alone can save his life. @realDonaldTrump — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) December 3, 2020 × Incumbent US President Donald Trump has a few weeks left in the White House, and now he wants to save his allies and children from prosecution. Once they leave the White House, Trump and his inner circle could be sued. Until Trump holds office, he is immune to any legal action. Reportedly, Donald Trump is considering a way to keep his kids and allies safe from prosecution. Trump has discussed with his advisers whether he could fetch pre-emptive pardons to protect his three eldest children - Donald Trump Junior, Eric Trump, and Ivanka Trump along with his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani. Also read: Why does US President Trump want pre-emptive pardons for himself and family? The solicitation from Snowden came as Assange sits in a UK jail anticipating an adjudicator's decision, planned for January, on his removal to the US to confront an 18-check arraignment for supposed undercover work and connivance to submit hacking. Whenever indicted, he could confront a US jail sentence of as long as 175 years. He was captured in London in April 2019 in the wake of taking asylum in the Ecuadorian international safe haven for a very long time. Assange distributed a huge number of released grouped records in 2010 and 2011 uncovering US military bad behavior. The 48-year-old is purportedly in chronic weakness following quite a while of repression. In excess of 60 specialists from eight distinct nations composed an open letter before the end of last year saying they were worried that he could bite the dust in care if he's not moved from the high-security Belmarsh Prison to an emergency clinic. Their solicitation was denied. Snowden, the previous CIA and NSA temporary worker who uncovered mass reconnaissance of Americans by US insight administrations, was conceded perpetual residency in Russia in October subsequent to taking shelter in the nation since 2013. He's been accused of two tallies of reconnaissance and burglary of government property. Russia, which has no removal settlement with the US, recently conceded Snowden's impermanent refuge. Trump's archetype, Barack Obama, denied Snowden's solicitation for an exculpation. In any case, Trump, who said in 2013 that Snowden was a "spy who should be executed," has reevaluated that position lately. Trump told correspondents in August that he would consider exculpating Snowden. Individuals from the two sides of the US political separation have asked Trump to acquit Snowden and Assange. US Representative Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii) a month ago reestablished her requires the president to exculpate the two men, saying they uncovered the guiltiness of the covert government at extraordinary a disregard for one's own needs. .@realDonaldTrump Since you're giving pardons to people, please consider pardoning those who, at great personal sacrifice, exposed the deception and criminality of those in the deep state. https://t.co/aeXklUsNSd — Tulsi Gabbard 🌺 (@TulsiGabbard) November 26, 2020 × if @realDonaldTrump wants to show everyone he's one of the people, anti establishment and not apart of the swamp, he would pardon 1. Assange 2. Snowden 3. Ulbricht — Luke Rudkowski (@Lukewearechange) November 27, 2020 × After Gabbard was assaulted for supporting him, Snowden himself noticed that the general population has betrayed legislators who smear informants. Politicians take note: smearing whistleblowers and publishers with obvious bullshit no longer gets you showered in likes, it gets you ratioed by a furious public. It is time to end the war on whistleblowers. pic.twitter.com/bMfzUU5VCt — Edward Snowden (@Snowden) November 28, 2020 × Trump will have just until January 20 to make a move except if he's fruitful in getting the courts to topple Democrat Joe Biden's media-proclaimed political race triumph. Digital recording host Jen Perelman, a Florida Democrat who ran fruitlessly to take Debbie Wasserman-Shultz's legislative seat, proposed that Snowden's possibilities could be more awful under the following organization. "Is oversight going to be more regrettable under Biden?" she inquired. Snowden prior uncovered that in 2013 then-VP Biden was considering nations around the globe to caution them that in the event that they award refuge to the informant, they will be confronted with "results" from Washington. Different eyewitnesses applauded Snowden for asking Trump to consider Assange's case even before his own. "How tolerant and caring of you," one analyst said. Another stated, "The individuals of America and the world will be everlastingly thankful to the daring truth-tellers, be they informants or legitimate writers, regardless of whether they don't all acknowledge it yet."

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden urges Trump to grant clemency to WikiLeaks' Julian Assange

<p>The Trump administration is rolling out sweeping changes to the test immigrants must take to become U.S. citizens, injecting hints of conservative philosophy and making the test harder for many learners of the English language.</p>

<p>The new citizenship test that went into effect Tuesday is longer than before, with applicants now required to answer 12 out of 20 questions correctly instead of six out of 10. It is also more complex, eliminating simple geography and adding dozens of possible questions, some nuanced and involving complex phrasing, that could trip up applicants who do not consider them carefully.</p>

<p>Of the 18 questions removed from the previous test, 11 were questions that had simple, sometimes one-word answers.</p>

<p>The new test adds one more hurdle for immigrants who hope to become voting citizens, coming in the waning days of an administration that has imposed substantial new barriers to immigration and limits on the ability of those already in the country to aspire to legal residence and, eventually, naturalization.</p>

<p>One test question that has drawn particular scrutiny provides a new answer to the question, “Who does a U.S. Senator represent?” Previously, the answer was “all people of the state”; on the new test, it is “citizens” in the state.</p>

<p>Singled out for a new question is the 10th Amendment, which reserves to the states all powers not specifically granted to the federal government, a part of the Bill of Rights that is a favorite among conservatives questioning federal authority.</p>

<p>Another new question, “Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?” has one answer that is considered correct: “to stop the spread of Communism.” The test does not take on the issue of the vehement protests or the huge death toll stemming from the war.</p>

<p>Immigration organizations, including some that have helped thousands of people complete their naturalization applications over the past decade, warn that the new test could make it harder for poor immigrants from non-English-speaking countries to become citizens and ultimately suppress the number of immigrants who vote.</p>

<p>Critics also said the new test could create even more backlogs in a system already plagued with delays.</p>

<p>“It’s a last-ditch effort on their way out the door for the administration to keep people from realizing their dreams of becoming citizens,” said Eric Cohen, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco, a nonprofit group that helps permanent residents apply for citizenship.</p>

<p>“There is no legal reason, no regulatory reason to do this,” said Cohen, noting that the citizenship test had remained unchanged since 2008. “They decided on their own that they have to change it for political reasons.”</p>

<p>Dan Hetlage, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that oversees the naturalization process, said in a statement that the test was revised “to ensure that it remains an instrument that comprehensively assesses applicants’ knowledge of American history, government and values and supports assimilation.”</p>

<p>President-elect Joe Biden has the option of reversing the changes, though that likely could not occur, if at all, until several months into the new year.</p>

<p>The new test will be required of all applicants who apply for citizenship after Dec. 1, though there is often a lag of several months between when candidates apply and when they are scheduled for an interview with a USCIS officer, meaning that some candidates may still be taking the old test.</p>

<p>The current pass rate for the citizenship test, according to USCIS, is 91%. An analysis of the new test by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network suggested that 40 questions out of the original 100 remained unchanged from the previous version; the rest were reworded or newly introduced.</p>

<p>Already, some immigrants were expressing nervousness about changes to the test.</p>

<p>Nefi Reyes, an electrician from El Salvador who took the earlier test this year, passed with a perfect score. It had been 30 years since he had crossed the border into the United States to escape the civil war in El Salvador, and he voted in the United States for the first time in November.</p>

<p>“I feel lucky that I got it done,” Reyes said of the changes to the test. He had had difficulty memorizing the names of the colonies, he said, and the new test requires applicants to name not three of the original 13 states, as he had managed to do, but five.</p>

<p>Luz Gallegos, executive director of Todec, a nonprofit group that assists immigrants in Southern California, said her organization had seen a rush in immigrants applying to take the citizenship test, not only so they could vote in the November election but also because many hoped to avoid the new test. “As it is, it’s difficult for them to memorize all the answers to the civics test,” she said.</p>

<p>Immigrants are not alone in finding the citizenship test, even in its previous form, challenging. About 1 in 3 Americans could pass a multiple-choice test consisting of items taken from that version, according to a 2018 national survey by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Most of the respondents did not know how many justices serve on the Supreme Court or which countries the United States fought in World War II.</p>

<p>Citizenship tests have gone through various incarnations since being introduced around a century ago, replacing an earlier system, broadly criticized at the time, in which naturalization judges evaluated immigrants’ knowledge of civics and the English language as they saw fit.</p>

<p>“There was absolutely inconsistency and unfairness in the way that prospective citizens were examined by naturalization judges,” said Jack Schneider, an assistant professor of education at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, noting that such hearings resulted in the rejection of large numbers of applicants.</p>

<p>The test has changed considerably over time. Decades ago, the test asked how tall the Bunker Hill Monument is, missing, critics said, the more important issue of what it stands for. Another question, “How many stars are there on a quarter?” was deleted after it was noted that the right answer depended on the quarter.</p>

<p>The new citizenship test is one of a number of moves made under the Trump administration to not only halt illegal immigration but restrict legal immigration as well. The administration has made it harder for people to obtain asylum, increased the costs of applying for citizenship and, under the cloak of the coronavirus pandemic, suspended the issuance of green cards to immigrants seeking temporary work in the country.</p>

<p>Taken together, these moves amount to a break from what historically had been bipartisan support for naturalization for immigrants who lived and worked in the United States and embraced the opportunity to become citizens.</p>

<p>Applicants must already fill out a 20-page application, pass background checks, submit a bevy of documents, and pass civics and English tests during an interview. The government moved this year to raise fees for naturalization from $725 to $1,170, or $1,160 if the application was filed online, but a federal judge in California blocked the increase in September.</p>

<p>Organizations that offer citizenship classes to help immigrants study for the test are scrambling to revamp their lesson plans to respond to the new questions.</p>

<p>Lynne Weintraub, who trains citizenship instructors and was involved in the design of the 2008 test, said the revisions were adopted without outside professional input that might have helped ensure that the test was a fair and valid measure of applicants’ knowledge of civics.</p>

<p>“You can’t even imagine the turmoil that this has created,” Weintraub said. The new test, she said, presents additional problems for many English language learners by clustering abstract concepts into one phrase in some questions, “making them impossible for immigrants with low English proficiency and less education to follow.”</p>


The Trump administration is rolling out sweeping changes to the test immigrants must take to become U.S. citizens, injecting hints of conservative philosophy and making the test harder for many learners of the English language.

The Trump administration is rolling out sweeping changes to the test immigrants must take to become U.S. citizens, injecting hints of conservative philosophy and making the test harder for many learners of the English language. The new citizenship test that went into effect Tuesday is longer than before, with applicants now required to answer 12 out of 20 questions correctly instead of six out of 10. It is also more complex, eliminating simple geography and adding dozens of possible questions, some nuanced and involving complex phrasing, that could trip up applicants who do not consider them carefully. Of the 18 questions removed from the previous test, 11 were questions that had simple, sometimes one-word answers. The new test adds one more hurdle for immigrants who hope to become voting citizens, coming in the waning days of an administration that has imposed substantial new barriers to immigration and limits on the ability of those already in the country to aspire to legal residence and, eventually, naturalization. One test question that has drawn particular scrutiny provides a new answer to the question, “Who does a U.S. Senator represent?” Previously, the answer was “all people of the state”; on the new test, it is “citizens” in the state. Singled out for a new question is the 10th Amendment, which reserves to the states all powers not specifically granted to the federal government, a part of the Bill of Rights that is a favorite among conservatives questioning federal authority. Another new question, “Why did the United States enter the Vietnam War?” has one answer that is considered correct: “to stop the spread of Communism.” The test does not take on the issue of the vehement protests or the huge death toll stemming from the war. Immigration organizations, including some that have helped thousands of people complete their naturalization applications over the past decade, warn that the new test could make it harder for poor immigrants from non-English-speaking countries to become citizens and ultimately suppress the number of immigrants who vote. Critics also said the new test could create even more backlogs in a system already plagued with delays. “It’s a last-ditch effort on their way out the door for the administration to keep people from realizing their dreams of becoming citizens,” said Eric Cohen, executive director of the Immigrant Legal Resource Center in San Francisco, a nonprofit group that helps permanent residents apply for citizenship. “There is no legal reason, no regulatory reason to do this,” said Cohen, noting that the citizenship test had remained unchanged since 2008. “They decided on their own that they have to change it for political reasons.” Dan Hetlage, a spokesman for U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency that oversees the naturalization process, said in a statement that the test was revised “to ensure that it remains an instrument that comprehensively assesses applicants’ knowledge of American history, government and values and supports assimilation.” President-elect Joe Biden has the option of reversing the changes, though that likely could not occur, if at all, until several months into the new year. The new test will be required of all applicants who apply for citizenship after Dec. 1, though there is often a lag of several months between when candidates apply and when they are scheduled for an interview with a USCIS officer, meaning that some candidates may still be taking the old test. The current pass rate for the citizenship test, according to USCIS, is 91%. An analysis of the new test by the Catholic Legal Immigration Network suggested that 40 questions out of the original 100 remained unchanged from the previous version; the rest were reworded or newly introduced. Already, some immigrants were expressing nervousness about changes to the test. Nefi Reyes, an electrician from El Salvador who took the earlier test this year, passed with a perfect score. It had been 30 years since he had crossed the border into the United States to escape the civil war in El Salvador, and he voted in the United States for the first time in November. “I feel lucky that I got it done,” Reyes said of the changes to the test. He had had difficulty memorizing the names of the colonies, he said, and the new test requires applicants to name not three of the original 13 states, as he had managed to do, but five. Luz Gallegos, executive director of Todec, a nonprofit group that assists immigrants in Southern California, said her organization had seen a rush in immigrants applying to take the citizenship test, not only so they could vote in the November election but also because many hoped to avoid the new test. “As it is, it’s difficult for them to memorize all the answers to the civics test,” she said. Immigrants are not alone in finding the citizenship test, even in its previous form, challenging. About 1 in 3 Americans could pass a multiple-choice test consisting of items taken from that version, according to a 2018 national survey by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation. Most of the respondents did not know how many justices serve on the Supreme Court or which countries the United States fought in World War II. Citizenship tests have gone through various incarnations since being introduced around a century ago, replacing an earlier system, broadly criticized at the time, in which naturalization judges evaluated immigrants’ knowledge of civics and the English language as they saw fit. “There was absolutely inconsistency and unfairness in the way that prospective citizens were examined by naturalization judges,” said Jack Schneider, an assistant professor of education at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, noting that such hearings resulted in the rejection of large numbers of applicants. The test has changed considerably over time. Decades ago, the test asked how tall the Bunker Hill Monument is, missing, critics said, the more important issue of what it stands for. Another question, “How many stars are there on a quarter?” was deleted after it was noted that the right answer depended on the quarter. The new citizenship test is one of a number of moves made under the Trump administration to not only halt illegal immigration but restrict legal immigration as well. The administration has made it harder for people to obtain asylum, increased the costs of applying for citizenship and, under the cloak of the coronavirus pandemic, suspended the issuance of green cards to immigrants seeking temporary work in the country. Taken together, these moves amount to a break from what historically had been bipartisan support for naturalization for immigrants who lived and worked in the United States and embraced the opportunity to become citizens. Applicants must already fill out a 20-page application, pass background checks, submit a bevy of documents, and pass civics and English tests during an interview. The government moved this year to raise fees for naturalization from $725 to $1,170, or $1,160 if the application was filed online, but a federal judge in California blocked the increase in September. Organizations that offer citizenship classes to help immigrants study for the test are scrambling to revamp their lesson plans to respond to the new questions. Lynne Weintraub, who trains citizenship instructors and was involved in the design of the 2008 test, said the revisions were adopted without outside professional input that might have helped ensure that the test was a fair and valid measure of applicants’ knowledge of civics. “You can’t even imagine the turmoil that this has created,” Weintraub said. The new test, she said, presents additional problems for many English language learners by clustering abstract concepts into one phrase in some questions, “making them impossible for immigrants with low English proficiency and less education to follow.”

New US citizenship test is longer and more difficult

<p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/donald-trump">Donald Trump </a>continued to remain bitter about his election defeat to President-elect <a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/joe-biden">Joe Biden </a>and also hinted of another run in 2024.&nbsp;</p>

<p>In a 46-minute video which Trump described as the "most important speech" he has ever made, he said that country's electoral system is "under coordinated assault and siege" and blamed it for his loss.&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="und"><a href="https://t.co/DVDyvbGIKz">pic.twitter.com/DVDyvbGIKz</a></p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1334303260279234562?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p><strong>Watch |&nbsp;</strong></p>

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<p>However, at a White House Christmas party, Trump hinted about the possibility of anther run in 2024.</p>

<p><strong>Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/donald-trump-losing-twitter-followers-to-joe-biden-346684">Donald Trump losing Twitter followers to Joe Biden</a></strong></p>

<p>"It's been an amazing four years. We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I'll see you in four years," the president told guests.</p>

<p>Trump spoke at length on the widespread voter fraud in the presidential election in the video, which led to warnings by Facebook and Twitter in the video.&nbsp;</p>

<p>His baseless remarks of a "rigged" election continued despite his own administration's Attorney General Bill Barr declaring on Tuesday that there is no evidence of fraud.&nbsp;</p>

<p>"It is statistically impossible that the person, me, who led the charge, lost," he said in the video, adding that he has "so much evidence".&nbsp;</p>

<p>Meanwhile, the six-contested states have also certified their results and the national count has given Biden a massive lead of about seven million more votes than Trump.&nbsp;<br />
&nbsp;</p>


Donald Trump continued to remain bitter about his election defeat to President-elect Joe Biden and also hinted of another run in 2024. In a 46-minute video which Trump described as the "most important speech" he has ever made, he said that country's electoral system is "under coordinated assault and siege" and blamed it for his loss.

Donald Trump continued to remain bitter about his election defeat to President-elect Joe Biden and also hinted of another run in 2024. In a 46-minute video which Trump described as the "most important speech" he has ever made, he said that country's electoral system is "under coordinated assault and siege" and blamed it for his loss. pic.twitter.com/DVDyvbGIKz — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2020 × Watch | However, at a White House Christmas party, Trump hinted about the possibility of anther run in 2024. Also read | Donald Trump losing Twitter followers to Joe Biden "It's been an amazing four years. We are trying to do another four years. Otherwise, I'll see you in four years," the president told guests. Trump spoke at length on the widespread voter fraud in the presidential election in the video, which led to warnings by Facebook and Twitter in the video. His baseless remarks of a "rigged" election continued despite his own administration's Attorney General Bill Barr declaring on Tuesday that there is no evidence of fraud. "It is statistically impossible that the person, me, who led the charge, lost," he said in the video, adding that he has "so much evidence". Meanwhile, the six-contested states have also certified their results and the national count has given Biden a massive lead of about seven million more votes than Trump.

Amid election fraud claims, Donald Trump hints of another run in 2024

<p>Israel has released more than $1 billion in funds withheld from the Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian minister said Wednesday, weeks after coordination was renewed between the two sides.</p>

<p>Hussein al-Sheikh, a close aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed the receipt of nearly 3.8 billion shekels (around $1.1 billion) from Israel.</p>

<p>&nbsp;</p>

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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Israeli?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Israeli</a> government transfers all financial dues of the clearance to the account of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Palestinian?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Palestinian</a> Authority, amounting to three billion and 768 million shekels. <a href="https://t.co/TK9vueVzRW">https://t.co/TK9vueVzRW</a></p>
— حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) <a href="https://twitter.com/HusseinSheikhpl/status/1334056982043643904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>In May, the Palestinians stopped coordination with Israel, with PA leader Mahmud Abbas saying it was in response to Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank.</p>

<p>Israel later put its annexation plans on hold, in return for an agreement to normalise ties with the United Arab Emirates, announced in August.</p>

<p>In halting the cooperation with Israel, the PA also stopped accepting transfer of taxes,&nbsp;particularly customs duties,&nbsp;collected by Israel on its behalf.</p>

<p><strong>Also read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/seeking-restart-with-biden-palestinians-eye-end-to-prisoner-payments-344402">Seeking restart with Biden, Palestinians eye end to prisoner payments</a></strong></p>

<p>The Palestinians resumed contacts with Israel last month following President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the US&nbsp;Election. Biden is opposed to annexation and has promised a more evenhanded approach to the conflict.</p>

<p>The taxes are a key source of revenue for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It was forced to cut the salaries it pays to tens of thousands of civil servants, worsening an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic.</p>

<p>Israel's Finance Ministry said the funds were transferred following the approval of the Israeli Security Cabinet last month.</p>

<p>Israel said it would deduct an amount equal to what the Palestinian Authority pays to the families of prisoners and those killed in the conflict, including militants implicated in attacks that killed Israelis.</p>

<p>Israel says the so-called Martyrs' Fund incentivizes violence, while the Palestinians say it provides aid to needy families.</p>

<p>President Donald Trump's Mideast plan, unveiled in January, would have allowed Israel to annex a third of the West Bank, including all its Jewish settlements. The Palestinians immediately rejected the plan, and Abbas announced in May that he was cutting all ties to the US&nbsp;And Israel, and would no longer abide by past agreements with them.</p>

<p>Israel shelved its annexation plans in August after the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pause was only temporary.</p>

<p>Trump took unprecedented steps to support Israel and isolate the Palestinians, including moving the US&nbsp;Embassy to contested Jerusalem, cutting off aid to the Palestinians, and ending decades of US&nbsp;Opposition to Israeli settlements, which the Palestinians and much of the international community view as a violation of international law.</p>

<p>Biden has vowed to restore aid to the Palestinians and press both sides to resume the long-moribund peace process, without providing much detail about his approach.&nbsp;</p>


Israel has released more than $1 billion in funds withheld from the Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian minister said Wednesday, weeks after coordination was renewed between the two sides.

Israel has released more than $1 billion in funds withheld from the Palestinian Authority, a Palestinian minister said Wednesday, weeks after coordination was renewed between the two sides. Hussein al-Sheikh, a close aide to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, confirmed the receipt of nearly 3.8 billion shekels (around $1.1 billion) from Israel. The #Israeli government transfers all financial dues of the clearance to the account of the #Palestinian Authority, amounting to three billion and 768 million shekels. https://t.co/TK9vueVzRW — حسين الشيخ Hussein Al Sheikh (@HusseinSheikhpl) December 2, 2020 × In May, the Palestinians stopped coordination with Israel, with PA leader Mahmud Abbas saying it was in response to Israeli plans to annex parts of the West Bank. Israel later put its annexation plans on hold, in return for an agreement to normalise ties with the United Arab Emirates, announced in August. In halting the cooperation with Israel, the PA also stopped accepting transfer of taxes, particularly customs duties, collected by Israel on its behalf. Also read: Seeking restart with Biden, Palestinians eye end to prisoner payments The Palestinians resumed contacts with Israel last month following President-elect Joe Biden's victory in the US Election. Biden is opposed to annexation and has promised a more evenhanded approach to the conflict. The taxes are a key source of revenue for the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank. It was forced to cut the salaries it pays to tens of thousands of civil servants, worsening an economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Israel's Finance Ministry said the funds were transferred following the approval of the Israeli Security Cabinet last month. Israel said it would deduct an amount equal to what the Palestinian Authority pays to the families of prisoners and those killed in the conflict, including militants implicated in attacks that killed Israelis. Israel says the so-called Martyrs' Fund incentivizes violence, while the Palestinians say it provides aid to needy families. President Donald Trump's Mideast plan, unveiled in January, would have allowed Israel to annex a third of the West Bank, including all its Jewish settlements. The Palestinians immediately rejected the plan, and Abbas announced in May that he was cutting all ties to the US And Israel, and would no longer abide by past agreements with them. Israel shelved its annexation plans in August after the United Arab Emirates agreed to normalize relations, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the pause was only temporary. Trump took unprecedented steps to support Israel and isolate the Palestinians, including moving the US Embassy to contested Jerusalem, cutting off aid to the Palestinians, and ending decades of US Opposition to Israeli settlements, which the Palestinians and much of the international community view as a violation of international law. Biden has vowed to restore aid to the Palestinians and press both sides to resume the long-moribund peace process, without providing much detail about his approach.

Israel transfers $1 billion in withheld funds to Palestinians

<p>Donald Trump might not have conceded yet, but the writers and creative people from Tonight at Jimmy Fallon, have decided to write him a concession speech.&nbsp;</p>

<p>Fallon’s editing team devised a clever way to force Trump to deliver a concession speech after losing the election to former Vice President Joe Biden earlier this month. The video is a&nbsp;montage, strategically excerpting nuggets of truth and other out-of-context remarks from previous Trump speeches.</p>

<p>“My fellow Americans, a short time ago, Joe Biden beat me in the election,” three different Trumps begin the video, relay-style. “And not only did he win — he won by a lot actually. Therefore, it is time for me to step aside, because let’s face it, I wasn’t probably on my game, and I wasn’t doing so well.</p>

<p>“I’m the only president in history to lose the popular vote twice and to get impeached. It’s time for a change. Greatest dream in the world is that Joe Biden wins because the winner of this vote was decided by a fair and open election. Therefore, I humbly concede to Joe Biden. The American people have responded, and they said to me, ‘You’re fired. Bing! Get out.’”<br />
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<p>At press time, President-elect Biden has amassed 290 electoral votes after winning the key battleground states of Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Trump has secured 232 electoral votes.</p>

<p>On Sunday, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-almost-admits-he-lost-us-election-says-time-will-tell-343056">the president appeared to acknowledge Biden’s victory by tweeting</a>, “He won because the Election was Rigged.”</p>

<p>“That might be as close to a concession speech as we’re gonna get, folks,” Fallon joked on “The Tonight Show.” “But it was short-lived because he went on to say, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/biden-won-because-donald-trump-acknowledges-democrats-victory-for-first-time-343333#google_vignette">‘I concede NOTHING,’ and ‘I WON THE ELECTION.</a>’”<br />
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation &amp; bum equipment that couldn’t even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake &amp; Silent Media, &amp; more! <a href="https://t.co/Exb3C1mAPg">https://t.co/Exb3C1mAPg</a></p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1327956491056279552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p dir="ltr" lang="en">He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA. I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION!</p>
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1327979630477922304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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<p>The comedian also slammed the Trump administration for resisting cooperation with Biden’s incoming team, which will be tasked with handling the COVID-19 pandemic when Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris head to the White House in January.</p>

<p>“I’m really shocked by this because, up until now, Trump’s handling of the pandemic has been flawless. Seriously, why is it so hard for Trump? He’s been passing off COVID responsibilities for eight months. Why stop now?” said Fallon.</p>

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Donald Trump might not have conceded yet, but the writers and creative people from Tonight at Jimmy Fallon, have decided to write him a concession speech. Fallon’s editing team devised a clever way to force Trump to deliver a concession speech after losing the election to former Vice President Joe Biden earlier this month.

Donald Trump might not have conceded yet, but the writers and creative people from Tonight at Jimmy Fallon, have decided to write him a concession speech. Fallon’s editing team devised a clever way to force Trump to deliver a concession speech after losing the election to former Vice President Joe Biden earlier this month. The video is a montage, strategically excerpting nuggets of truth and other out-of-context remarks from previous Trump speeches. “My fellow Americans, a short time ago, Joe Biden beat me in the election,” three different Trumps begin the video, relay-style. “And not only did he win — he won by a lot actually. Therefore, it is time for me to step aside, because let’s face it, I wasn’t probably on my game, and I wasn’t doing so well. “I’m the only president in history to lose the popular vote twice and to get impeached. It’s time for a change. Greatest dream in the world is that Joe Biden wins because the winner of this vote was decided by a fair and open election. Therefore, I humbly concede to Joe Biden. The American people have responded, and they said to me, ‘You’re fired. Bing! Get out.’” View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Tonight Show (@fallontonight) × At press time, President-elect Biden has amassed 290 electoral votes after winning the key battleground states of Arizona, Nevada and Pennsylvania. Trump has secured 232 electoral votes. On Sunday, the president appeared to acknowledge Biden’s victory by tweeting, “He won because the Election was Rigged.” “That might be as close to a concession speech as we’re gonna get, folks,” Fallon joked on “The Tonight Show.” “But it was short-lived because he went on to say, ‘I concede NOTHING,’ and ‘I WON THE ELECTION.’” He won because the Election was Rigged. NO VOTE WATCHERS OR OBSERVERS allowed, vote tabulated by a Radical Left privately owned company, Dominion, with a bad reputation & bum equipment that couldn’t even qualify for Texas (which I won by a lot!), the Fake & Silent Media, & more! https://t.co/Exb3C1mAPg — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2020 × He only won in the eyes of the FAKE NEWS MEDIA. I concede NOTHING! We have a long way to go. This was a RIGGED ELECTION! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 15, 2020 × The comedian also slammed the Trump administration for resisting cooperation with Biden’s incoming team, which will be tasked with handling the COVID-19 pandemic when Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris head to the White House in January. “I’m really shocked by this because, up until now, Trump’s handling of the pandemic has been flawless. Seriously, why is it so hard for Trump? He’s been passing off COVID responsibilities for eight months. Why stop now?” said Fallon.

Donald Trump's 'concession speech' on Jimmy Fallon's show goes viral

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