US election: Trump, Biden in tensed battle to the finish – Newstrends
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US election: Trump, Biden in tensed battle to the finish

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‘Whether Trump ultimately wins or loses, he has cast a pall on this election, as he calls the very machinery of American democracy into question’

There is a tense wait in the United States and indeed across the world as results of the presidential election are still trickling in.

The BBC reports that the outcome of the election is on a knife edge, with Donald Trump and his rival Joe Biden neck and neck in key swing states.

Trump, a Republican, claimed to have won and vowed to launch a Supreme Court challenge, alleging fraud.

Earlier Biden, a Democrat, said he was “on track” to victory.

Millions of votes remain uncounted and no candidate can credibly claim victory as yet. There is no evidence of fraud.

The US is on course for the highest electoral turnout in a century. More than 100 million people cast their ballots in early voting before election day, and tens of millions more added their vote on Tuesday.

With the nation on edge, the final result may not be known for days.

Trump has defied the pre-election polls to do better than predicted, but Biden is still in the race and the overall result is not yet clear.

In the US election, voters decide state-level contests rather than an overall, single, national one.

To be elected president, a candidate must win at least 270 votes in the electoral college. Each US state gets a certain number of votes partly based on its population and there are a total of 538 up for grabs.

The president is projected to have held the must-win state of Florida – a major boost to his re-election bid.

The BBC projects Trump will win another conservative sunbelt state, Texas, where the Biden campaign had dreamed of an upset victory.

But Biden could snatch Arizona, a once reliably conservative state. Fox News and the Associated Press have projected Biden will win that state and CBS News, the BBC’s US partner, says it is leaning the Democrat’s way.

A loss for Trump in that previously Republican-voting state would be a potentially serious setback.

The Rust Belt battlegrounds of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin – which propelled Trump to the White House four years ago – are very close.

Pennsylvania is considered crucial for Trump if he is to stave off defeat – he has a significant lead there but a large number of mail-in ballots are yet to be counted. Biden has a narrow lead in Wisconsin and the two are almost neck-and-neck in Michigan.

Trump will keep hold of Ohio and Missouri, known as bellwether states because they have so often predicted the eventual winner, according to the BBC’s projection.

He is also projected by the BBC to win Nebraska, though Biden picked up one vote there in the electoral college, which could turn out to be crucial.

No surprises have emerged yet in the other states.

Control of Congress – the two-chamber legislature – is also at stake. As well as the White House, Republicans are vying to hang on to a majority in the Senate. The House of Representatives is expected to stay in Democratic hands.

What are the candidates saying?

Trump hosted an election night gathering inside the White House with about 100 guests.

In a speech at about 02:30 local time (07:30 GMT) he said: “We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election.”

He went on to allege “major fraud on our nation” without providing evidence, adding: “We’ll be going to the US Supreme Court.”

“We want all voting to stop,” the president said, apparently meaning that he wants to block the counting of postal ballots, which can be legally accepted by some state election boards after Tuesday’s election.

Millions of ballots have yet to be counted and there is no evidence of fraud.

His rival’s campaign condemned the president’s statement as “outrageous, unprecedented, and incorrect”, calling it a “naked effort to take away the democratic rights of American citizens”.

Earlier, at about 01:00 local time, Biden predicted in a speech to supporters in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, that he would be victorious.

The Democrat said, “We feel good about where we are; we really do. I am here to tell you tonight we believe we’re on track to win this election.”

He added, “We’re going to have to be patient until the hard work of tallying votes is finished and it ain’t over until every vote, every ballot is counted.”

As his opponent spoke, Trump tweeted from the White House: “We are up BIG, but they are trying to STEAL the Election. Twitter labelled the post as potentially “misleading about an election or other civic process”.

A new “non-scalable” fence was put up around the White House ahead of election day. Businesses in the nation’s capital and also in New York City boarded up their premises due to fears of unrest.

Donald Trump has been telegraphing for weeks that if the presidential election were close, he would accuse his Democratic opponents of committing voter fraud and trying to steal victory away from him. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, he did exactly that.

It is the doomsday scenario that many Americans were fearing, where the president of the United States – from the White House itself – would undermine ballot-counting.

It’s a process that stretches on for days after the election even in normal circumstances, where voters haven’t turned to postal or early voting in large numbers because of an ongoing pandemic.

After Trump spoke, Vice-President Mike Pence tried to smooth over his remarks, declining to declare premature victory and insisting that all the legally cast votes will be counted. It was much more in line with how a US leader would be expected to behave in a moment of political uncertainty.

The damage had been done, however. Whether Trump ultimately wins or loses, he has cast a pall on this election, as he calls the very machinery of American democracy into question.

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Nigeria ranks 36th on most corrupt countries’ list (full list)

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Nigeria ranks 36th on most corrupt countries’ list (full list)

Transparency International, a global coalition against corruption, has ranked Nigeria as the 36th most corrupt country in the world, according to the 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) released on Tuesday.

Nigeria shares the 36th position with Uganda, Mexico, Madagascar, Iraq and Cameroon, each scoring 26 points on the corruption index.

Denmark retained its position as the least corrupt country in the world with 90 points, followed by Finland with 88 points and Singapore with 84 points. The top 10 least corrupt nations were predominantly European, with no African country making the list.

However, Cape Verde emerged as the least corrupt country in Africa, ranking 35th globally with 62 points.

At the other end of the spectrum, South Sudan, Somalia and Venezuela were named the most corrupt countries in the world for the year under review.

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Commenting on the report, Francois Valeria, Chair of Transparency International, emphasised the widespread threat of corruption and its impact on global challenges such as climate change.

“The 2024 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) shows that corruption is a dangerous problem in every part of the world, but change for the better is happening in many countries,” Valeria said.

“Research also reveals that corruption is a major threat to climate action. It hinders progress in reducing emissions and adapting to the unavoidable effects of global heating.”

The CPI ranks 180 countries and territories worldwide based on perceived levels of public sector corruption, using a scale from 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean).

While 32 countries have significantly reduced corruption levels since 2012, Transparency International noted that 148 countries have either stagnated or worsened in the same period.

“The global average of 43 has also stood still for years, while over two-thirds of countries score below 50. Billions of people live in countries where corruption destroys lives and undermines human rights,” Valeria added.

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Nigeria commiserates with Namibia on death of ex-President Nujoma 

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Nigeria commiserates with Namibia on death of ex-President Nujoma

 

The Federal Government has commiserated with the government and people of the Republic of Namibia on the passing of their first President, Dr. Sam Nujoma.

Nujoma, the founding president of Namibia died at the weekend at the age of 95 years.

The revolutionary leader, who served as Namibia’s first president for 15 years, died on Saturday night in the nation’s capital, Windhoek.

Namibian President Nangolo Mbumba said Nujoma died from an illness after being hospitalised in the capital, Windhoek.

A statement by Acting Spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Kimiebi Imomotimi Ebienfa, described the departed leader as a visionary and a pan-Africanist.

The statement read, “The departed elder statesman was a visionary leader, a pan-Africanist and a relentless freedom fighter, who dedicated his life to the emancipation of Namibia from colonial rule.

“His unwavering commitment to justice, equality and self-determination not only shaped the destiny of Namibia but also inspired generations of Africans in the fight against oppression and injustice.

“As the pioneer President, Dr. Nujoma laid the foundation for a nation built on the principles of democracy, reconciliation, and development.

“His leadership set the country on a path of peace and progress, earning him the respect and admiration of the international community.

“Nigeria shares in the grief of our Namibian brothers and sisters at this moment of profound loss. We remember Dr. Nujoma as a true friend of Nigeria and a steadfast ally in pursuing African solidarity and cooperation.

“His legacy as a freedom fighter and statesman will forever remain a source of inspiration for the continent.

“Therefore, in this time of mourning, Nigeria stands in solidarity with the people of Namibia and reaffirms our commitment to strengthening the bonds of friendship and partnership between our two nations. May his soul rest in eternal peace.”

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Obasanjo: Leaders have to step on toes, I sacked my daughter for coming late 

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Obasanjo: Leaders have to step on toes, I sacked my daughter for coming late 

 

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo says all political of note have had to take difficult decisions including stepping on big toes.

He recalled how he had to sack his daughter from his farm on account of late coming to work.

According to Obasanjo, that action had a major effect on all his employees and they said, “if Baba could do this to his daughter, who are we?”

The former President made the disclosure while hosting the new Chairman, Board of Management of Federal Medical Centre Idi-Aba in Abeokuta, Dr Dayo Israel, who was on courtesy visit to him the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library, Abeokuta, Ogun State.

He told his visitor to prepare for the challenges ahead and be ready to step on toes, if necessary, for a successful tenure of office.

He said, “No leader of note I ever come across achieved without stepping on toes.”

Dr Israel was in company of the FMC, Abeokuta Medical Director, Prof. Adewale Musa-Olomu, and members of his management team.

The former President, according to a statement by the hospital’s Head of Public Relations, Dr Segun Orisajo said: “If you’re doing a job and you’re not stepping on toes, then you’re not effective.

“Shortly after I left office as Head of State, my first daughter, then at University of Ibadan, studying Veterinary Medicine was engaged on my farm to gain some practical experience during long vacation”.

“On day one, she resumed a quarter past seven in the morning as against the usual 7 o’clock. I warned her, reminding her that she has an obligation to be of good example to other workers. I told her I will not hesitate to wield the big stick should the same be repeated going forward.

“To my amazement, the following day, she was late to work again. I did not hesitate to send her back right from the gate.”

“Not surprisingly, this had an indescribable effect on all my employees, saying “if Baba could do this to his daughter, who are we?”

Earlier, the FMCA Board Chairman, Dr Israel, described Obasanjo as an international colossus, full of wisdom and wits.

Israel said: “Meeting Baba Obasanjo is always so much fun. As we begin this journey of transformation at FMC Abeokuta, Baba’s wisdom and experience are invaluable.”

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