The body of the former United States President was transferred to the US Capitol on Tuesday in a grand and solemn military ceremony, where it will lie in state until a national funeral later this week.

Carter, who passed away on December 29, 2024, at 100, served as the 39th president from 1977 to 1981.

He was widely celebrated for his post-presidential humanitarian efforts, which earned him the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

His body arrived at the snow-dusted Capitol following a ceremonious journey from his hometown of Plains, Georgia.

Hundreds gathered as Carter’s flag-draped casket was carried atop a gun carriage during a funeral procession down Pennsylvania Avenue, retracing the opposite route he took during his 1977 inauguration parade.

“I paid my respects to President Jimmy Carter as he lies in state in the US Capitol Rotunda today,” US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin posted on X (formerly Twitter). “On behalf of the entire Department of Defense, we join the Carter family and all Americans in celebrating this extraordinary life, legacy, and service to our nation.”

Carter’s arrival in Washington began with a flight aboard a presidential US Air Force jet.

The procession from the US Navy Memorial to Capitol Hill included hundreds of US service members and was a nod to Carter’s military service as a submariner.

At the Capitol Rotunda, a short service was held, attended by Carter’s family, congressional leaders, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Chief Justice John Roberts. Carter is now the 13th US president to lie in state at the Capitol, following a tradition that began with Abraham Lincoln in 1865.

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The timing of the ceremony carried additional symbolism, as it took place one day after the anniversary of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. This year, Congress certified President Joe Biden’s reelection without incident, under heavy security.

A state funeral service will be held Thursday at the Washington National Cathedral. President Biden, who considered Carter a close friend and political ally, is set to deliver the eulogy. All four living former presidents—Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump—are expected to attend.

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Biden has declared Thursday a national day of mourning, closing federal offices and ordering flags flown at half-staff for 30 days, a tradition that will continue through the presidential inauguration later this month.

Carter, the first US president to reach 100 years of age, spent his final years in hospice care in Plains, Georgia. He will be laid to rest there alongside his wife, former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, who passed away in August 2024.

The China Development Bank has announced the approval of a $254.76m (€245m) loan to support the Kano-Kaduna railway project in Nigeria.

According to information released on its website on Tuesday, the financial backing is expected to ensure the seamless continuation of the construction work.

It said on its website, “China Development Bank released on Tuesday that the bank has recently granted a loan of 245m euros ($254.76m) to the Kano-Kaduna railway project in Nigeria, providing financial support for the smooth progress of the project.”

The railway, a standard-gauge line stretching 203 kilometres, will link Kano, a key commercial city in northern Nigeria, to the nation’s capital, Abuja.

Once operational, it will provide residents with a safer and more efficient mode of transport, improving regional connectivity.

In addition to easing transportation, the project is expected to spur economic growth by fostering the development of industries along its corridor.

It is also set to create numerous employment opportunities during its construction and subsequent operations.

The Kano-Kaduna railway has been listed as a practical cooperation project under the Third Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.

The project is being executed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and financed by the CDB.

According to the bank, construction is progressing well. The CDB reiterated its commitment to working closely with the Nigerian government to ensure the disbursement of funds and effective management of the next phases of the project.

The China Exim Bank, who was to be the funder of this project, backed off, with Nigeria announcing the CDB as the new financier.

The CDB noted, “Going forward, it will closely coordinate with Nigerian partners to ensure the smooth disbursement of subsequent loans and effective post-loan management.”

Last year, President Bola Tinubu assured that the Ibadan-Abuja-Kaduna-Kano railway project would be completed to satisfaction.

The Federal Government hopes that the ongoing construction of the Kaduna to Kano rail line will be completed before the end of this year.

About N44.4bn has been budgeted this year for the completion of the Abuja-Kaduna Railway project, Lagos-Ibadan railway, and other railway projects across the country.

The Foreign Minister of the People’s Republic of China, Wang Yi, is scheduled to arrive in Abuja on Wednesday for an official visit.

During the visit, Yi, who is a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, will engage in discussions aimed at strengthening ties between Nigeria and China.

The UK’s new visa-waiver entry system took effect on Wednesday for passengers from dozens more countries, including millions of annual visitors from the United States, Canada and Australia.

The Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme — similar to the ESTA system in the United States — requires visitors who do not need a visa to enter Britain to acquire pre-travel authorisation.

Costing £10 ($12.50) and allowing stays of up to six months at a time over two years, it first launched in 2023, with Qatar, before being extended last year to five regional Gulf neighbours.

Now, it has been expanded to include citizens of around 50 more countries and territories, from Argentina, Brazil and New Zealand to Japan, South Korea and Caribbean nations.

With the system kicking in for them on Wednesday, they have been able to apply since last November.

The scheme, aimed at tightening border security, will next be extended to dozens of EU and European countries and territories on April 2.

Citizens covered by the scheme will be able to apply for the new ETA — which is digitally linked to the traveller’s passport — via an app, from March 5.

Around six million people from the US, Canada and Australia visit Britain each year, according to the UK government.

Eligible travellers will need one even if they are just using the UK to connect to an onward flight abroad. ETA also applies to children and babies.

London’s Heathrow Airport has opposed the scheme, saying its rollout has reduced the number of passengers transiting through the UK, and that it makes the country “less competitive” and harms economic growth.

The new requirement does not apply to British and Irish citizens, those with passports from British overseas territories and legal UK residents.

It does not change the requirements for citizens of countries who need a visa to visit Britain, such as Chinese, Ecuadorian and South African travellers.

Previously, most visitors not requiring a visa could arrive at a British airport and proceed through immigration control with their passport.

The new UK entry scheme mirrors the imminent ETIAS scheme for visa-exempt nationals travelling to 30 European countries, including France and Germany, which will cost seven euros ($7.40) and last three years.

The European Commission expects the system — which will apply to around 60 countries, including the US, Canada, Brazil and the UK — to become operational in the middle of this year.