US President Joe Biden during a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bloomberg
US President Joe Biden during a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bloomberg
US President Joe Biden during a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bloomberg
US President Joe Biden during a campaign event in Raleigh, North Carolina. Bloomberg

Top Democrats rule out replacing Biden as candidate despite feeble debate performance


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Democratic leaders on Sunday ruled out the idea of replacing US President Joe Biden as their nominee despite his feeble debate performance last week.

House of Representatives Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries acknowledged that Mr Biden suffered a setback in his debate with Donald Trump, but said “a setback is nothing more than a set-up for a comeback”.

“So the moment that we're in right now is a comeback moment, and it's going to require all of us to lean in, articulate a forward-looking message as to why the Democratic platform is best equipped to deal with the challenges facing the American people,” Mr Jeffries told MSNBC.

Mr Biden's performance in the debate against Trump last Thursday caused a wave of panic to ripple through the Democratic Party, with commentators tearing into him as soon as the event ended.

During the debate, a hoarse-sounding Mr Biden – who later said he had a cold – delivered a shaky, halting performance in which he stumbled over his words.

AP reported that after the debate, Democratic donors across New York, Southern California and Silicon Valley privately expressed deep concerns about the viability of Mr Biden’s campaign and, in a series of text message chains and private conversations, discussed possible replacements.

The President's meandering answers and struggles to respond to Trump prompted The New York Times editorial board to declare on Friday that he should leave the race and that staying would be a “reckless gamble”.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution joined the call, saying he should withdraw “for the good of the nation he has served so admirably for half a century”.

But asked whether or not he thought Mr Biden should drop out of the race, Georgia Democratic Senator Raphael Warnock, one of several Democrats regarded as a possible replacement, said: “Absolutely not.”

Mr Warnock told NBC that “bad debates happen” and that he is “with Joe Biden, and it's our assignment to make sure that he gets over the finish line come November”.

Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina agreed that Mr Biden should keep fighting.

“He should stay in this race. He should demonstrate it going forward his capacity to lead the country,” Mr Clyburn told CNN, blaming “preparation overload” and not advanced age for Mr Biden's lacklustre performance.

And former House speaker Nancy Pelosi insisted that “it's not about performance in a debate, it's about performance during a presidency”, highlighting Mr Biden's achievements in job creation, the environment and the economy.

But calls for Mr Biden to step aside have continued, and a post-debate CBS poll showed a 10-point jump in the number of Democrats who believe he should not be running for president, to 46 per cent from 36 per cent in February.

Demonstrators hold signs outside a fundraiser for US President Joe Biden in East Hampton, New York. Bloomberg
Demonstrators hold signs outside a fundraiser for US President Joe Biden in East Hampton, New York. Bloomberg
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Sustainable Development Goals

1. End poverty in all its forms everywhere

2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture

3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages

4. Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls

6. Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all

7. Ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all

8. Promote sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all

9. Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialisation and foster innovation

10. Reduce inequality  within and among countries

11. Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable

12. Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns

13. Take urgent action to combat climate change and its effects

14. Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development

15. Protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation and halt biodiversity loss

16. Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels

17. Strengthen the means of implementation and revitalise the global partnership for sustainable development

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Trans fat is typically found in fried and baked goods, but you may be consuming more than you think.

Powdered coffee creamer, microwave popcorn and virtually anything processed with a crust is likely to contain it, as this guide from Mayo Clinic outlines: 

Baked goods - Most cakes, cookies, pie crusts and crackers contain shortening, which is usually made from partially hydrogenated vegetable oil. Ready-made frosting is another source of trans fat.

Snacks - Potato, corn and tortilla chips often contain trans fat. And while popcorn can be a healthy snack, many types of packaged or microwave popcorn use trans fat to help cook or flavour the popcorn.

Fried food - Foods that require deep frying — french fries, doughnuts and fried chicken — can contain trans fat from the oil used in the cooking process.

Refrigerator dough - Products such as canned biscuits and cinnamon rolls often contain trans fat, as do frozen pizza crusts.

Creamer and margarine - Nondairy coffee creamer and stick margarines also may contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils.

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The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.

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Date started: December 2015

Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan

Sector: Technology and home services

Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai

Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month

Funding:  The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups. 

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Ingredients
1 tbsp Spirulina powder
1 banana
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2 crushed ice cubes (optional)

Method
Blend all the ingredients together on high in a high-speed blender until smooth and creamy. 

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Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.

Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born. 

UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.

A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.

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