Foreign
US Presidential Debate: Despite My Poor Performance, I Will Still Win The Election, Biden Assures Donors
US President Joe Biden has assured Democrat donors that he can still win the presidential election against Donald Trump, following a poor debate performance that has fuelled concerns about his candidacy.
The 81 year old president attended several fundraising events in New York and New Jersey on Saturday, where he defended his performance in CNN’s Presidential Debate. Speaking at one of the events, Mr. Biden admitted, “I didn’t have a great night, but neither did Trump” on Thursday. “I promise you we’re going to win this election,” he said.
The president acknowledged the concerns surrounding his debate performance but pledged to fight harder. New Jersey’s Democratic governor Phil Murphy, who attended the fundraiser alongside Mr. Biden and the first lady, expressed unwavering support, stating, “We are all with you 1,000%.”
Biden’s debate performance against former President Donald Trump was marked by hard-to-follow and shaky answers, raising fresh questions among some Democrats about his viability as a candidate. Former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told the BBC’s Katty Kay that Mr. Biden’s debate performance “wasn’t great,” while his former communications director, Kate Bedingfield, called it “really disappointing.”
Despite the criticism, the Biden campaign has affirmed that he will not step aside for another nominee. Campaign chairwoman Jennifer O’Malley Dillon stated that internal post-debate polling showed “voters’ opinions were not changed.” She added, “It will not be the first time that overblown media narratives have driven temporary dips in the polls.”
Former President Barack Obama, a close friend of Mr. Biden, took to social media to offer support, saying, “Bad debate nights happen.” He emphasised, “This election is still a choice between someone who fought for ordinary folks his entire life and someone who only cares about himself.”
Conversely, Trump declared the debate a “big victory” for his campaign and criticised Mr. Biden as “grossly incompetent.” Trump, 78, remarked, “Joe Biden’s problem is not his age.”
Criticism extended beyond politics, with a New York Times editorial describing Biden’s determination to run again as a “reckless gamble” and urging Democrats to consider another candidate.
Voters across the United States also expressed concerns following the debate. Long-time Democrat Lori Gregory told the BBC she “could not handle” watching the debate and questioned, “Is this the best our country can do?” Republican Crystal Myers-Barber found it “painful to watch” but thought “Trump came across very level-headed and presidential, and Biden came across very weak.” Democrat Shana Ziolko expressed frustration, noting there was no clear winner.
A post-debate poll by liberal pollster Data for Progress found that 62% of likely voters who watched or read about the debate believed Trump won, while only 30% said Mr. Biden won.
In the wake of the debate, fundraising has emerged as a potential indicator of continued enthusiasm for Biden’s candidacy. Chairwoman Jennifer O’Malley Dillon reported that the campaign raised more than $27 million from Thursday’s debate to Friday evening. “Following Thursday night’s debate, the beltway class is counting Joe Biden out. The data in the battleground states, though, tells a different story,” she said. “This election was incredibly close before Thursday, and by every metric we’ve seen since, it remains just as close.”
A Cessna 550 Citation Bravo carrying Brazilian singer Rey Vaqueiro and seven other people has overrun the runway while landing at Parelhas Airport in Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
The aircraft, with registration PP-WMO, was involved in the incident during the early hours of Sunday, September 13, according to aviation news platform FL360aero, which reported the incident in a post on X.
The aircraft reportedly ran beyond the runway while landing at the airport and subsequently caught fire, with both engines said to have been engulfed in flames.
Firefighters battled the blaze for approximately five hours before it was brought under control.
All eight people on board, comprising six passengers and two crew members, reportedly evacuated the aircraft.
Some of the occupants were said to have sustained minor injuries, while no serious injuries were reported.
The aircraft was destroyed by the fire.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain under investigation by Brazil’s Centre for Investigation and Prevention of Aeronautical Accidents (CENIPA).
The incident involved a Cessna 550 Citation Bravo, a business jet commonly used for private and charter flights.
More flights are expected to be delayed in the United Kingdom (UK) after a technical problem with the country’s air traffic control system led to more than 2,000 cancellations.
A total of 291 flights were cancelled on Wednesday after 1,750 were cancelled on Tuesday, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium. Tens of thousands of passengers have been affected by the disruption.
National Air Traffic Services (NATS), the UK’s air traffic control provider, blamed the disruption on a technical glitch. Its chief executive, Martin Rolfe, apologised and said a full investigation would be carried out.
He admitted that resolving the problem had taken “longer than hoped”.
Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband described the outage as “unacceptable”, while Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander summoned Rolfe to explain what happened.
The disruption affected several major UK airports, including Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and Birmingham. Airports in Ireland also reported disruption.
At Heathrow, departures were initially paused on Tuesday before operations resumed and then faced further disruption later in the day.
Heathrow said its operations were recovering on Wednesday but warned passengers of further delays because aircraft and crew needed to be repositioned.
Gatwick also said flights had resumed but warned that it would take time for operations to return fully to normal.
Passengers have been advised to check directly with their airlines before travelling to airports. Heathrow said passengers should only travel if they have a confirmed flight.
The technical fault affected NATS’ flight data processing system. Rolfe said it was not the same system that failed during a major disruption in 2023.
However, the latest incident is the third technical problem experienced by NATS in three years. A computer shutdown in 2023 caused widespread disruption affecting around 700,000 passengers, while another outage in 2025 resulted in about 150 cancellations.
Airlines including Ryanair and Wizz Air have called for changes to NATS. Wizz Air UK managing director Yvonne Moynihan said the company needed to consider whether NATS was “fit for purpose”.
Despite the disruption, Rolfe defended the UK’s air traffic control system, saying it remained one of the best in the world.
However, former NATS air traffic control manager Doug Maclean said repeated failures were undermining the system’s reputation.
Even though the technical issue has been resolved, passengers are expected to face further disruption because of the backlog of flights, aircraft and crew.
NATS said it was working to restore normal operations as quickly as possible.
(BBC News)
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will not be working royals allowed to carry out official engagements now they have returned to the UK, a letter sent on behalf of King Charles spells out.
The letter is intended to clarify the status of Prince Harry and Meghan, who moved back from California with children Archie and Lilibet last month.
They will still not be able to use titles of “His and Her Royal Highness”, and remain “private citizens”, says the letter sent on behalf of the King by the Lord Chamberlain, a top Palace official.
It comes as Prince Harry appears to have been pictured for the first time since his return, with a photo on social media showing him at a London TV and podcast studio.
The King’s letter has been sent to Prince Harry’s team, government departments, military officials and Lord Lieutenants, according to Palace sources.
Lord Lieutenants, who are the monarch’s local representatives, and government staff are often involved in royal visits and engagements.
This letter makes clear that any engagements carried out by the Sussexes will be in a private capacity and they will not be representing the Royal Family.
It seems to be something of a shot across the bows, making clear that any Prince Harry and Meghan visits should not be treated as royal engagements.
This comes ahead of what are likely to be public appearances by the Sussexes this autumn, as they settle in the UK and support their charities.
The couple have kept a low profile, but the first picture of Prince Harry since coming back to the UK appears to have been posted on the social media account of Tower Bridge Studios in London.
The message from the King emphasises that the position agreed in 2020 when the Sussexes left the UK – the so-called Sandringham Agreement – is still in place.
This ruled out any “half-in and half-out” status, so Harry and Meghan could not pursue their own commercial interests while continuing to be working royals.
“It is well known that in January 2020 the Duke and Duchess stepped down from undertaking representative duties on behalf of the Sovereign, and are no longer working members of the Royal Family,” the letter says.
The letter sent on behalf of the King makes it clear that this remains the case.
“The charitable work of the Duke and Duchess is a personal matter for them both and undertaken in their private capacity,” it adds.
The King’s message says that any questions from organisations about the reception to be given to the Sussexes, “particularly where recourse to public funds may be required, should be directed to Buckingham Palace”.
Prince Harry and Meghan faced an acrimonious departure from the UK in 2020, which they chronicled in their Netflix documentary.
They established their financial independence in California, including Prince Harry writing a best-selling memoir Spare and Meghan creating an online food range, As Ever.
This summer the couple made a surprise return to the UK, where their children will be going to school.
It’s expected that Prince Harry will be supporting his charities, including the Invictus Games, which are due to be held in Birmingham next year.
There have been reports that Meghan is considering a return to acting.
Disputes about Prince Harry and Meghan’s security in the UK remain unresolved and the letter spells out: “Any operational security issues should continue to be directed to the relevant police authorities.”
Prince Harry has complained about a lack of adequate police protection in the UK, but the Palace says that has to be addressed by the Royal and VIP Executive Committee – known as Ravec – which decides security for royals and public figures.
Palace sources have suggested it was better to make the Lord Chamberlain’s letter public, in a spirit of transparency, rather than risk it emerging in leaks.
Prince Harry and Meghan’s representatives have been contacted for a response.
Prof Nnamchi Bags Excellence Award From Catholic Parish For His Investment In Youths(Photos)
Ghana Urges ECOWAS States to Unite Against Climate-driven Insecurity
ECOWAS Seeks New Regional Pact as Climate Crisis Threatens Security
-
News21 hours agoChristian candidates will punish Nigerian Muslims if elected in 2027 elections: APC Lawmaker Ibrahim Shittu
-
News21 hours agoNigeria signs acquisition agreement for 12 Viper Attack helicopters from U.S
-
News21 hours agoAlleged Forgery: Court Releases International Passport Of Ex-Minister Nnaji
-
Politics12 hours ago2027: Anambra Government urges Obi to Quit Presidential Race, Releases Salary Arrears
-
News11 hours agoWatch moment FCT minister Wike campaigns for Tinubu, Aduda
-
Economy9 hours agoBREAKING: CBN cuts interest rate to 23 percent
Warning: Undefined variable $user_ID in /home/naijuinz/public_html/wp-content/themes/zox-news/comments.php on line 49
You must be logged in to post a comment Login