https://www.scmp.com/rss/508531/feed Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th President of the United States of America on January 20, 2021, in Washington. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Enrique Tarrio, the former leader of the far-right Proud Boys militia, was sentenced to 22 years in prison on Tuesday for his role in the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol, the stiffest sentence handed out so far. “That day broke our previously unbroken tradition of peacefully transferring power,” US District Judge Timothy Kelly said of the attempt to stop the congressional certification of Democrat Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory over Donald Trump. “Mr Tarrio was the ultimate leader of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3233541/ex-proud-boys-leader-sentenced-22-years-jail-us-capitol-attack-stiffest-sentence-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3233541/ex-proud-boys-leader-sentenced-22-years-jail-us-capitol-attack-stiffest-sentence-so-far?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 05 Sep 2023 22:49:45 +0000 A new report detailing intelligence failures leading up to the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol said government agencies responsible for anticipating trouble downplayed the threat – even as the building was being stormed in an attempt to stop Congress’ certification of Joe Biden as the 46th president. The 105-page report, issued on Tuesday by Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, said intelligence personnel at the Federal Bureau of Investigation... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3225641/us-capitol-attack-was-preceded-intelligence-agency-failures-senate-report-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3225641/us-capitol-attack-was-preceded-intelligence-agency-failures-senate-report-concludes?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jun 2023 20:42:28 +0000 The US House investigation into the deadly assault on the US Capitol will share with federal prosecutors any evidence of potential crimes aimed at pushing false Republican electors in states won by Democratic President Joe Biden, the committee’s chairman said on Sunday. The House of Representatives Select Committee on January 6 is looking for evidence that Republican officials in some states sought to nominate their own slates of electors, rather than those chosen by voters in 2020, panel... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3164462/us-capitol-riot-investigation-report-any-fake?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3164462/us-capitol-riot-investigation-report-any-fake?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Jan 2022 18:02:35 +0000 Don’t know the name? Naomi Biden is Joe’s 28-year-old granddaughter. As in, Joe Biden, America’s 46th president. The eldest child of Joe’s son Hunter, Naomi has started garnering attention for all the right reasons. From her political views to her unflappable support for her grandad and unwavering love for her family, Naomi comes across as someone with deep-rooted values. Growing up in a tight-knit family, the oldest grandchild of President Joe Biden and first lady Dr Jill Biden is also the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3160933/meet-joe-bidens-glamorous-granddaughter-naomi-activist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3160933/meet-joe-bidens-glamorous-granddaughter-naomi-activist?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Dec 2021 17:00:17 +0000 Despite Donald Trump’s financially taxing loss of the 2020 election, his wife and former first lady Melania Trump continued to make plenty of headlines in 2021. From her fashion choices to her collection of luxury gifts, and of course that time she most mysteriously stepped out of the spotlight for a matter of months, we look back at her most memorable moments that made STYLE headlines this year. Too rich for White House duties? The internet has often joked about Melania Trump being a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3160831/melania-trumps-mysterious-year-wrapped-her-no-show?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3160831/melania-trumps-mysterious-year-wrapped-her-no-show?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Dec 2021 20:00:13 +0000 President Joe Biden plans to address the nation on January 6 as the United States marks one year since the storming of the US Capitol. Without offering details, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday that Biden would make some kind of speech to commemorate the deadly attack carried out by thousands of supporters of former president Donald Trump. “It’s safe to say the American people will hear from him on that day,” Psaki said. “We’ll have more to say as we get closer.” Biden’s... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3160753/joe-biden-will-address-nation-anniversary-january-6?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3160753/joe-biden-will-address-nation-anniversary-january-6?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Dec 2021 21:50:53 +0000 This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Maeve Sheehey and Nicholas Wu on politico.com on July 27, 2021. Daniel Hodges, one of the police officers who testified at the first January 6 select committee meeting on Tuesday, called those who breached the Capitol that day “terrorists”, rejecting the notion floated by congressman Andrew Clyde that the insurrection amounted to typical “tourist visit”. Asked how he felt about Clyde’s description of... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3142788/police-officers-label-january-6-rioters-terrorists?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3142788/police-officers-label-january-6-rioters-terrorists?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jul 2021 20:21:21 +0000 This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Quint Forgey on politico.com on July 21, 2021. Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on Wednesday said he had “tremendous faith and confidence” in General Mark Milley following reports that the Joint Chiefs chair sought to prevent former US president Donald Trump from perpetrating a coup amid the 2020 election. “I’ve known the chairman for a long time. We’ve fought together. We’ve served a couple of times in... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3142022/lloyd-austin-defends-us-general-mark-milley?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3142022/lloyd-austin-defends-us-general-mark-milley?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 21 Jul 2021 21:48:09 +0000 The Pentagon’s watchdog said on Tuesday it would evaluate the safety protocols surrounding the president’s “nuclear football” – containing codes needed for a strike – after one such briefcase nearly came within range of rioters storming the Capitol on January 6. In a brief notice, the Inspector General’s office said it would evaluate the extent to which Pentagon officials could detect and respond if the Presidential Emergency Satchel were “lost, stolen or compromised”. “We may revise the... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3141885/how-safe-us-presidents-nuclear-football-pentagon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3141885/how-safe-us-presidents-nuclear-football-pentagon?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 20 Jul 2021 23:43:32 +0000 US President Joe Biden will deliver a prime time address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday – the eve of his first 100 days mark. But will US lawmakers all listen to the president – even for one night? Recent history is not assuring. Republican Congressman Joe Wilson shouted “you lie!” at President Barack Obama when he was giving a joint speech to Congress in 2009. Eleven years later, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped up a copy of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3131249/joe-bidens-first-speech-congress-will-be-unlike-any?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3131249/joe-bidens-first-speech-congress-will-be-unlike-any?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Apr 2021 06:53:20 +0000 A reputed leader in the Oath Keepers militia group discussed forming an “alliance” and coordinating plans with another extremist group, the Proud Boys, ahead of the riot at the US Capitol on January 6, according to new court papers. The court filing – detailing messages from Kelly Meggs, described by authorities as the leader of the Florida chapter of the Oath Keepers – is the first time prosecutors have suggested that the members of the two far-right extremist groups were communicating with... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3126839/oath-keeper-militia-leader-coordinated-proud-boys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3126839/oath-keeper-militia-leader-coordinated-proud-boys?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 24 Mar 2021 19:30:11 +0000 Lady Gaga is closer than ever to achieving the kind of psychological and spiritual peace that she has long been seeking. Over the course of her spectacular career as musician and actor, she has been remarkably open in discussing her struggles with mental health, and how she has dealt with being the victim of bullying in high school and sexual assault by a music producer. 6 times Lady Gaga showed how much she loves her French bulldogs Miss Asia, Gustav and Koji Many of her songs echo her... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3124108/interview-lady-gaga-opens-about-overcoming-ptsd-stanning?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3124108/interview-lady-gaga-opens-about-overcoming-ptsd-stanning?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 04 Mar 2021 21:00:14 +0000 Lady Gaga’s appearance at the 59th US presidential inauguration brought positivity and hope at a time when the United States is more divided than ever before. From the way she sang the national anthem to the Schiaparelli dress she wore, the performance was as beautiful as it was powerful. But the inauguration was a rare occasion where the style icon was upstaged by someone else’s fashion choice. If it weren’t for Bernie Sanders’ mittens, we’re certain the memes plastered all over the internet... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3120403/joe-biden-and-lady-gaga-shared-spotlight-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3120403/joe-biden-and-lady-gaga-shared-spotlight-united-states?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Feb 2021 22:00:20 +0000 US President Joe Biden’s firestorm of executive orders – around 30 in less than two weeks in the Oval Office – show a commendable focus on restoring coherence and credibility to American policymaking at home and abroad. Many of the orders are mere markers making good on pledges made in the heat of presidential election campaigning. Most are welcome, as he squares off to tackle four momentous challenges in the coming year – the pandemic, the recession, climate change, and social divisions and... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119953/why-bidens-buy-american-plan-bad-trumpian-idea-new-protectionist?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119953/why-bidens-buy-american-plan-bad-trumpian-idea-new-protectionist?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 31 Jan 2021 21:15:10 +0000 As the Biden administration considers whether it should pull remaining US troops out of Afghanistan in the coming months, some fear for the fate of an American who could be left behind: an abducted contractor believed held by a Taliban-linked militant group. On the one-year anniversary of Mark Frerichs’ abduction, family members and other supporters are urging the Biden administration not to withdraw additional troops without the Navy veteran being released from captivity. Frerichs was abducted... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3119943/joe-biden-faces-calls-secure-release-us-contractor?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/russia-central-asia/article/3119943/joe-biden-faces-calls-secure-release-us-contractor?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 30 Jan 2021 23:41:45 +0000 US President Joe Biden and aides showed touches of prickliness over growing scrutiny of the new president’s heavy reliance on executive orders in his first days in office. The president in just over a week has already signed more than three dozen executive orders and directives aimed at addressing the coronavirus pandemic as well as a gamut of other issues including environmental regulations, immigration policies and racial justice. Biden has also sought to use the orders to erase foundational... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119717/executive-orders-pen-joe-biden-attempts-undo-donald?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119717/executive-orders-pen-joe-biden-attempts-undo-donald?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Jan 2021 03:55:32 +0000 Bernie Sanders might not have been the most lavishly dressed on inauguration day, but his outfit choice has not only caused a barrage of memes, it’s also turned the 79-year-old senator into quite the unlikely fashion icon. In case you don’t have a working internet connection, here’s a reminder: Sanders was photographed sitting glumly with his arms crossed, wearing and a practical jacket and mittens – a conspicuous sight which resulted in a seemingly never-ending meme featuring the senator in a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3119630/bernie-sanders-unlikely-fashion-icon-his-brown-burton?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3119630/bernie-sanders-unlikely-fashion-icon-his-brown-burton?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jan 2021 23:30:18 +0000 The Inauguration Day photograph of a mitten-clad, glamour-defying Bernie Sanders perhaps was not the most flattering image of the US senator, but it has become a remarkably charitable one. The 79-year-old lawmaker from the northeastern state of Vermont announced Wednesday he has raised US$1.8 million for charity over the past five days through sales of merchandise featuring him wearing knit mittens and a parka at President Joe Biden’s January 20 swearing-in. The image launched a thousand memes... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119550/mittens-meme-helps-bernie-sanders-raise-us18?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119550/mittens-meme-helps-bernie-sanders-raise-us18?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 28 Jan 2021 02:49:26 +0000 Ever since I arrived in the United States in 1949, I have closely watched presidential inaugurations. At first it was merely out of curiosity as an outsider; I always intended to return to China. I ultimately stayed in the US and spent nearly 50 years in Washington teaching at Georgetown University and working at the State Department and Library of Congress. I watched both of Eisenhower’s inaugurations, as well as that of John F. Kennedy, who I once lived across the street from in Georgetown.... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119305/why-joe-biden-man-contradictions-just-president-unite-divided?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3119305/why-joe-biden-man-contradictions-just-president-unite-divided?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 27 Jan 2021 16:30:09 +0000 It’s one of the most iconic and unlikely of friendships in the history of American politics. Since 2009, former Republican president George W. Bush and former first lady Michelle Obama have amazingly hit it off, making their bond clear to the world in some surprisingly candid public moments. In 2016, they had a sweet embrace that was impossible to fake. In 2018, Bush handed Obama cough drops on two different occasions – the first at the memorial service for late Senator John McCain, and the... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3119357/why-are-michelle-obama-and-george-w-bush-such-good?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3119357/why-are-michelle-obama-and-george-w-bush-such-good?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jan 2021 23:00:11 +0000 The inauguration of Joe Biden not only ushered in a new era in US politics, but also highlighted the best of American fashion and style. This year’s inauguration was historic and symbolic; the celebrations were reduced to a socially distanced, televised and virtual medium due to the threats posed by the coronavirus outbreak. Fashion became the strongest visual cue, and people paid attention to the message it sent more than ever. The event saw politicians and celebrities garbed in their best... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3119356/how-kamala-harris-22-year-old-stepdaughter-ella-emhoff?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3119356/how-kamala-harris-22-year-old-stepdaughter-ella-emhoff?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jan 2021 22:00:09 +0000 President Joe Biden, who was sworn into office on January 20 as the 46th US president, will get to enjoy the perks that come with having the most prestigious title in the US: living in the White House, 24/7 house staff and a pretty sizeable salary. Yet one perk they don‘t enjoy? Holidays. “Presidents don’t get vacations – they just get a change of scenery,” Nancy Reagan once said. While presidents can take trips to the golf course or summer homes, they are accompanied by aides, advisers and... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3119261/18-financial-perks-joe-biden-will-enjoy-us-president-country?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/luxury/article/3119261/18-financial-perks-joe-biden-will-enjoy-us-president-country?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jan 2021 05:44:12 +0000 Americans tend to notice everything about an incoming president at their inauguration, and thus Joe Biden’s choice to wear a US$7,000 Rolex watch on the day he was sworn in did not pass without comment. Nor did the fact that the timepiece was made in Switzerland escape attention, as it marked one of the new president’s first breaks with his predecessors, who chose watches a bit more quotidian and even manufactured domestically – the type of industry Biden says he wants to promote. Biden’s... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3119229/joe-bidens-us7000-rolex-causes-stir-inauguration-day-swiss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3119229/joe-bidens-us7000-rolex-causes-stir-inauguration-day-swiss?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Jan 2021 01:33:51 +0000 The Biden administration has quickly removed a group of Trump administration appointees from the top of the US government’s global broadcasting arm, amid bipartisan criticism that the Donald Trump loyalists running the agency had undermined its ability to counter propaganda and disinformation, including from China. In its first week in office, President Joe Biden’s administration has pushed out Michael Pack, the controversial head of the US Agency for Global Media (USAGM), who had been in office... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3119220/quick-biden-fix-trump-appointees-ousted-top-us-broadcasting?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3119220/quick-biden-fix-trump-appointees-ousted-top-us-broadcasting?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 22:30:58 +0000 On her last day as US first lady, Melania Trump pulled out all the stops to make a fashionable departure as she boarded Marine One to leave Washington for Florida with her husband, Donald Trump. She was clad in a sombre, all-black outfit that included a Chanel jacket, a Dolce & Gabbana dress and carried an ultra luxurious Hermès Birkin bag in black crocodile leather. When the US presidential jet landed in Palm Beach, Florida, where she and Donald are now based, she descended to the tarmac... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3119171/melania-trumps-style-chrissy-teigen-praising-former-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3119171/melania-trumps-style-chrissy-teigen-praising-former-us?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 20:15:05 +0000 Former US president Donald Trump’s historic second impeachment trial starts in February, but the process really begins January 25, when the House sends the article of impeachment to the Senate and both sides begin preparing for a trial with many unknowns. The House swiftly impeached Trump January 13, charging him with inciting an insurrection at the US Capitol the week before. In the trial, senators will vote to decide whether to convict or acquit Trump. The trial is unprecedented in nearly... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119099/what-happens-next-donald-trumps-impeachment-trial?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119099/what-happens-next-donald-trumps-impeachment-trial?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 05:05:33 +0000 US federal law enforcement officials were examining a number of threats aimed at members of Congress as the second trial of former president Donald Trump nears, including ominous chatter about killing legislators or attacking them outside of the US Capitol, a US official said. The threats, and concerns that armed protesters could return to sack the Capitol anew, have prompted the US Capitol Police and other federal law enforcement to insist thousands of National Guard troops remain in Washington... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119094/us-lawmakers-threatened-republicans-signal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3119094/us-lawmakers-threatened-republicans-signal?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 25 Jan 2021 04:33:21 +0000 Don’t write off Donald Trump’s parting words as US president that he “will be back in some form”. They are – unlike his tweets and outbursts over the past four years – true. What he brought to Washington is here to stay: the voice of the disgruntled, disenfranchised and angry. And that’s why his vow to “always fight for you” is telling. That “you” has a new face: it is the painted face of a shirtless man wearing horns, a bearskin headdress and tan trousers, while armed with a long spear wrapped... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118882/trump-out-white-house-angry-mob-he-speaks-still-out-there?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3118882/trump-out-white-house-angry-mob-he-speaks-still-out-there?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 24 Jan 2021 21:15:11 +0000 In 1986, Joe Biden, then a Democratic senator from the state of Delaware, challenged the US government’s ambiguous policy towards the apartheid regime in South Africa. Pressing for passage of anti-apartheid legislation, Biden described the suffering of black South Africans under the white supremacist regime and demanded that President Ronald Reagan’s administration articulate a clear policy on ending the discrimination. “Our loyalty is not to South Africa, it’s to South Africans. And the South... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3118935/joe-bidens-us-presidency-seen-likely-boon-africa?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3118935/joe-bidens-us-presidency-seen-likely-boon-africa?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jan 2021 22:00:19 +0000 It’s a club Donald Trump was never really interested in joining and certainly not so soon: the cadre of former commanders in chief who revere the presidency enough to put aside often bitter political differences and even join together in common cause. Members of the ex-presidents club pose together for pictures. They smile and pat each other on the back while milling around historic events, or sit sombrely side by side at VIP funerals. They take on special projects together. They rarely... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118994/donald-trump-shuns-ex-presidents-club-and-feeling?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118994/donald-trump-shuns-ex-presidents-club-and-feeling?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 23 Jan 2021 19:16:09 +0000 President Joe Biden has directed law enforcement and intelligence officials in his administration to study the threat of domestic violent extremism in the United States, an undertaking being launched weeks after a mob of insurgents loyal to Donald Trump stormed the US Capitol. The disclosure on Friday by White House press secretary Jen Psaki is a stark acknowledgement of the national security threat that officials see as posed by American extremists motivated to violence by radical ideology. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118938/us-president-joe-biden-orders-review-domestic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118938/us-president-joe-biden-orders-review-domestic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jan 2021 22:20:50 +0000 Not since Jimmy Carter, a Baptist who has taught Bible classes well into his 90s, has the United States had a president whose life is so entwined with his faith as Joe Biden. A devout Catholic, the 78-year-old Biden is as apt to quote Scripture as he is his beloved Irish poets. Just the second Catholic president in US history – John F. Kennedy was the first – Biden wears his faith on his sleeve. Literally. Around his left wrist he often sports a rosary from the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118798/joe-biden-devout-catholic-wears-his-faith-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118798/joe-biden-devout-catholic-wears-his-faith-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jan 2021 06:17:55 +0000 A button former president Donald Trump used to order Diet Cokes while sitting at the Resolute Desk in the White House has apparently been moved since President Joe Biden took office. Trump first showed off the wooden call box in 2017 interviews with the Associated Press and the Financial Times. He showed reporters that with a push of a red button, a White House butler would bring him a glass of soda in the Oval Office. In the years after, Trump was pictured regularly with the rectangular wooden... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118781/inside-joe-bidens-oval-office-new-rug-chair-and-no?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118781/inside-joe-bidens-oval-office-new-rug-chair-and-no?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jan 2021 04:52:08 +0000 Barron Trump’s no-show at his dad’s outgoing speech as US president raised eyebrows and sparked headlines. The youngest son of Donald Trump was famously absent from his father’s final farewell as president on 20 January, and strangely, 24 hours later he has still not been seen in public alongside his famous family. But after enduring four years of constant scrutiny as the son of one of the most controversial politicians of our time, surely it’s time we gave the poor 14-year-old a... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3118757/where-was-barron-trump-donalds-youngest-was-no-show-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/celebrity/article/3118757/where-was-barron-trump-donalds-youngest-was-no-show-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 22 Jan 2021 04:00:18 +0000 Back in 2015, during the Obama administration, Guangzhou-born, New York-based designer Vivienne Tam dressed the United States’ new first lady, Jill Biden, for two different occasions. The first was a State Department lunch honouring Chinese President Xi Jinping and hosted by then Vice-President Joe Biden and then Secretary of State John Kerry; the second was a state dinner at the White House to welcome Xi and his wife, Peng Liyuan. Tam, who also attended the lunch, was contacted by Biden’s team... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3118666/vivienne-tam-dressing-us-first-lady-jill-biden-what-she?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3118666/vivienne-tam-dressing-us-first-lady-jill-biden-what-she?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 22:45:17 +0000 The events of the last few days have thrown into stark contrast the differences between the United States and Hong Kong. In the US, one president is ejected and another elected by the will of the people. In Hong Kong, the debate rages about whether our leader should be chosen by a small-circle committee of 1,200 or by “consultations” between people who are unknown and whom we certainly cannot choose. In the US, the new administration knows it must act quickly to restore unity or it will be... https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3118650/why-us-has-future-hong-kong-only-past?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/letters/article/3118650/why-us-has-future-hong-kong-only-past?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 22:40:15 +0000 US President Joe Biden was sworn into office on January 20, in Washington, and after four long years the capital saw Donald and Melania Trump off to Florida. The new leader of the free world kicked off his presidency with an upbeat ceremony, followed by the star-studded “Celebrating America” concert, centred around the Lincoln Memorial and hosted by Oscar-winning actor (and Covid-19 survivor) Tom Hanks. First lady Jill Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris were joined by celebrities including... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3118702/who-wore-it-best-joe-biden-and-kamala-harris?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3118702/who-wore-it-best-joe-biden-and-kamala-harris?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 10:11:34 +0000 At least four Trump appointed officials were fired, told to resign or placed on administrative leave on Joe Biden’s first day as US president. One of them, former president’s Donald Trump’s hand-picked chief of US international broadcasting quit amid a burgeoning staff revolt and growing calls for his resignation. Michael Pack resigned as the chief executive office of the US Agency for Global Media just minutes after Biden was inaugurated on Wednesday. The agency runs the Voice of America and... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118662/purge-joe-bidens-first-day-president?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118662/purge-joe-bidens-first-day-president?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 06:56:30 +0000 This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Tyler Pager on politico.com on January 20, 2021. Joe Biden bounced down Pennsylvania Avenue on Wednesday afternoon, revelling in the opportunity to greet the small handful of supporters lining the street and joke with reporters while on-air. It was a brief moment of normalcy for the consummate retail politician. But Biden’s first day as president was most remarkable for the abject lack of normalcy in a... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118642/joe-biden-seeks-bring-normalcy-back-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118642/joe-biden-seeks-bring-normalcy-back-white-house?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 05:34:26 +0000 An emotional Lady Gaga performed a dramatic version of the US national anthem, Garth Brooks sang a cappella, and Tom Hanks hosted a star-studded nighttime celebration to cap President Joe Biden’s inauguration. Grammy winner Lady Gaga wore a huge dove-shaped brooch and an impressively billowing red sculpted skirt as she sang into a golden microphone, delivering an emotional and powerful rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. She was followed at Wednesday’s ceremony by Jennifer Lopez, dressed all... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118632/celebrating-america-listers-bring-star-power-joe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118632/celebrating-america-listers-bring-star-power-joe?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 04:32:23 +0000 Leaders from around the world congratulated newly sworn-in US President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris, expressing cautious optimism over future relations after four years of tumult under Donald Trump. Biden’s first call to a foreign leader will be to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Friday. Trudeau, who butted heads with Trump over trade, said that “Canada and the United States enjoy one of the most unique relationships in the world”. He said he looked forward to working... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118623/world-powers-hopeful-reset-us-under-joe-biden?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118623/world-powers-hopeful-reset-us-under-joe-biden?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 03:28:01 +0000 US President Joe Biden referenced a conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, when both were vice-presidents, during one of his first official acts in his new role on Wednesday. “I was asked a long time ago when I was with Xi Jinping, and I was on the Tibetan plateau with him,” Biden said as he was administering an oath of office – virtually – to nearly 1,000 of his appointees. Xi “asked me in a private dinner, he and I, and we each had an interpreter. He said can you define America... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3118611/biden-recalls-telling-chinas-xi-jinping-us-about-possibilities?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3118611/biden-recalls-telling-chinas-xi-jinping-us-about-possibilities?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 01:40:34 +0000 Style-wise, Inauguration Day 2021 was short on surprises and long on symbolism, both at the top of the ticket and among those who gathered in support of the new Biden administration on Wednesday on the steps of the Capitol. Here’s a quick look at what was worn by the new president, first lady, vice-president and second gentleman – and why it matters. President Joe Biden In the run-up to the big day, it had been rumoured that the incoming commander in chief would be sworn in wearing a Ralph... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3118609/inauguration-day-fashion-who-wore-what-and-why-it-matters?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/fashion-beauty/article/3118609/inauguration-day-fashion-who-wore-what-and-why-it-matters?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 Jan 2021 01:13:27 +0000 Two Florida men, including a self-described organiser for the Proud Boys, a far-right extremist group, were arrested on Wednesday for taking part in the siege of the US Capitol earlier this month, authorities said. Joseph Biggs, 37, was arrested in central Florida and faces charges of obstructing an official proceeding before Congress, entering a restricted area on the groups of the US Capitol and disorderly conduct. According to an arrest affidavit, Biggs was part of a crowd on January 6 that... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118604/proud-boys-organiser-arrested-florida-over-siege?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118604/proud-boys-organiser-arrested-florida-over-siege?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 22:51:50 +0000 Residents of a tiny Indian village surrounded by rice paddies flocked to a Hindu temple, setting off firecrackers and praying and as they watched Kamala Harris, who has strong roots in the village, take her oath of office and become the US vice-president on Wednesday. Groups of women in bright saris and men wearing white dhoti pants watched the inauguration live as reporters broadcast the villagers’ celebrations to millions of Indians. The villagers chanted “Long live Kamala Harris” while... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3118602/indian-village-cheers-kamala-harris-during-swearing-us-vice?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3118602/indian-village-cheers-kamala-harris-during-swearing-us-vice?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 21:59:36 +0000 Amanda Gorman, the youngest poet in US history to mark the transition of presidential power, offered a hopeful vision for a deeply divided country on Wednesday with her poem The Hill We Climb. Gorman, 22, a Los Angeles resident, joined the ranks of previous inaugural poets Robert Frost, Maya Angelou and Elizabeth Alexander, with a powerful performance at the swearing-in of President Joe Biden and Vice-President Kamala Harris. “Being American is more than a pride we inherit. It’s the past we step... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118592/poet-amanda-gorman-22-captures-bruised-whole-us?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118592/poet-amanda-gorman-22-captures-bruised-whole-us?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 19:37:21 +0000 This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Lara Seligman and Bryan Bender on politico.com on January 20, 2021. The Pentagon blocked members of US President Joe Biden’s incoming administration from gaining access to critical information about current operations, including the troop drawdown in Afghanistan, upcoming special operations missions in Africa and the Covid-19 vaccine distribution programme, according to new details provided by... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118588/inside-ugly-transition-pentagon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118588/inside-ugly-transition-pentagon?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 18:52:43 +0000 This story is published in a content partnership with POLITICO. It was originally reported by Nick Niedzwiadek on politico.com on January 20, 2021. After four years of shattering precedent inside the White House, US President Donald Trump took part in one final presidential tradition on his way out of office Wednesday: leaving a letter for his successor inside the Oval Office. Trump spokesperson Judd Deere confirmed Wednesday that the president had written a letter to president-elect Joe Biden... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118570/donald-trump-leaves-parting-oval-office-letter-joe?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118570/donald-trump-leaves-parting-oval-office-letter-joe?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 15:44:41 +0000 All times are Eastern Time (UTC-5, HKT-13). Joe Biden has now been sworn in as the 46th US president, and Kamala Harris as the 49th vice-president, entering office with an appeal to unity and calm in the wake of the recent attacks on Congress. “Let’s start afresh, all of us,” Biden told an assembled audience – including previous surviving presidents, minus Donald Trump who flew to Florida before the event, and 96-year-old Jimmy Carter – as he called for unity, social justice and calmer heads in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3117665/us-presidential-inauguration-live-updates-joe-biden-2021?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3117665/us-presidential-inauguration-live-updates-joe-biden-2021?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 15:01:04 +0000 Donald Trump wanted a hero’s send off Wednesday and the ceremony arranged for him at an Air Force Base outside Washington looked just like one. But one thing was missing: the big crowd he loves. With less than four hours left before Joe Biden took over, Trump had to rush to make his exit from the White House to Florida before losing the trappings of the presidency. So after an 8:18am departure on Marine One from the South Lawn, he landed at Joint Base Andrews alongside the gleaming presidential... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118556/donald-trump-leaves-white-house-snubbing-joe-bidens?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/united-states-canada/article/3118556/donald-trump-leaves-white-house-snubbing-joe-bidens?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 20 Jan 2021 13:57:40 +0000