Democrat Joe Biden was sworn in as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday, ending the tumultuous four-year term in the White House of Republican Donald Trump.

Biden, 78, took the oath of office from Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts at a solemn ceremony at the US Capitol which was snubbed by the outgoing president and took place in the shadow of a raging coronavirus pandemic.

Before Biden, Kamala Harris was sworn in as US vice president, becoming the first woman, the first Black person and the first Asian American to hold the office.

Democrat Biden has become the oldest US president in history at a scaled-back ceremony in Washington that has been largely stripped of its usual pomp and circumstance, due both to the coronavirus and security concerns following the January 6 assault on the US Capitol by Trump supporters.

Following his oath of office, Biden celebrated his incoming administration not as a celebration of a candidate but a victory for US democracy, saying more work must be done to heal the nation.

“At this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed,” he said in his inaugural speech. “Today we celebrate the triumph, not of a candidate, but of a cause. The cause of democracy.”

He vowed to defeat political extremism and domestic terror. The US faces “a rise of political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism, that we must confront, and we will defeat,” he said in his first speech.

Trump, a Republican, left the White House with his wife Melania just after 8am (1300 GMT) and went by helicopter to a sendoff event at Joint Air Force Base Andrews, where he promised supporters “we’ll be back in some form” and extolled his administration’s successes before flying off to Florida.

Top Republicans, including Vice President Mike Pence, were not there to see him go. Biden arrived at the Capitol just before 10:30am for his inauguration after a visit to church, where he was joined in a show of unity by the two most senior Republicans in Congress: Senator Mitch McConnell and House of Representatives Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

With only a small number of attendees present, Biden took the oath of office around noon, placing his hand on an heirloom Bible that has been in the Biden family for more than a century.

Trump flouted one last convention on his way out. His refusal to attend his successor’s swearing-in breaks with more than a century and a half of political tradition, seen as a way of affirming the peaceful transfer of power.

The president did, however, leave a customary note for Biden in the Oval Office, according to a White House official, though it was not yet known what it said.

Biden’s running mate, Harris, the daughter of immigrants from Jamaica and India, became the first Black person, first woman and first Asian American to serve as vice president after she was sworn in by US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor, the court’s first Latina member.

Tense atmosphere

The tense atmosphere in Washington has evoked the 1861 inauguration of Lincoln, who was secretly transported to Washington to avoid assassins on the eve of the Civil War, or Roosevelt’s inaugural in 1945, when he opted for a small, secure ceremony at the White House in the waning months of World War II.

Despite security warnings, Biden declined to move the ceremony indoors and instead will address a small, socially distant crowd on the West Front of the Capitol. Some of the traditional trappings of the quadrennial ceremony will remain.

After the ceremony, Biden will oversee a “Pass in Review”, a military tradition that honours the peaceful transfer of power to a new commander in chief. Then, Biden, Harris and their spouses will be joined by a bipartisan trio of former presidents — Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama — to lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Ceremony.

Later, Biden will join the end of a slimmed-down inaugural parade as he moves into the White House. Because of the pandemic, much of this year’s parade will be a virtual affair featuring performances from around the nation.

In the evening, in lieu of the traditional glitzy balls that welcome a new president to Washington, Biden will take part in a televised concert that also marks the return of A-list celebrities to the White House orbit after they largely eschewed Trump. Among those in the lineup: Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Lin-Manuel Miranda. Lady Gaga will sing the national anthem at the Capitol earlier in the day.

DNA

RAWALPINDI, JAN 20: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa visited Sialkot garrison. COAS was briefed on situation along working boundary and operational readiness.

COAS also interacted with garrison officers and men. COAS appreciated their professionalism and devotion to defend motherland in the face of multiple threats. COAS lauded them for their high morale and indomitable spirit.

Earlier, on arrival, COAS was received by Corps Commander, Lieutenant General Asim Munir.

KARACHI, JAN 20 (DNA) – Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) Central President Haleem Adil Sheikh has demanded that the name of Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah should be put on the ECL, in the backdrop of probe about his corruption by the NAB.

Addressing a press conference at Sindh Assembly here Wednesday flanked by Bilal Ghaffar, Dr Imran and others said that the front man of Sindh rulers Anwar Majid is involved in tractor scam and he was also given subsidy of billions of rupees in Dadu Sugar Mills and Thatta Sugar Mills.

He said these corrupt people also harmed the Sindh Bank and they are also involved in Nooriabad power plant scam.

He said probe should also be held about the assets of Fiyaz Jatoi, whose family members are officers of up to 22-Grade. Their bank accounts should also be probed. He said there is a huge corruption in Roshan Sindh Program.

He said Sharjeel Inam Memon is involved in mega corruption and the Sindh assembly speaker has included his name in Penal of Chairmen. He said these corrupt rulers devoured Rs920million in the name of castration of stray dogs. He said these people have made government schools non-functional, which are now being used as animal pens.

Haleem Adil said that since 2007 the nation is seeing that one man is involved in all corruption in Sindh, who own the portfolio of finance. He said billions of rupees received under the NFC Award have been shifted to the pockets of the corruption mafia.

He said Rs2.47 billion of pensioners also went to the corruption mafia. He said Salim Bajari and Dawach are front men of Murad Ali Shah in these corrupt practices. He said a school teacher of Thatta has already died due to mental stress because of fake bank accounts in his name in Dadu.

Talking about Maulana Fazalur Rehman, Haleem Adil said the Maulana and Nawaz Sharif sent two delegations to Israel and now Maulana is coming to Karachi to hold an anti-Israel rally. He said now the Maulana could not befool the nation. He asked the Maulana not to use the students of seminaries for his political rallies.

He said the opposition alliance is giving new deadlines after expiry of previous deadlines but they are not willing to tender resignations. He said they even would not hold a sit-it in February.

However, PTI leader Bilal Ghaffar said that his party is trying to highlight the issues of Sindh in a better way. He said Model Ayan Ali and Omni Group cases show that the looted money went to the bank accounts of Zardari corruption system.

He said officers of grade 19 and 20 are involved in this corruption. He said Hassan Naqvi has already applied for plea bargain. He said Rs2500billion were tagged for development but no one knows where these funds have gone.

However, Haleem Adil said we will expose their corruption before the masses. He said Bilawal is not also innocent. He said we will initiate a Go Murad Go protest drive. =DNA

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 20 (DNA) – Measures to protect animals and to end cruelty against animals are the need of the hour to make our planet a peaceful and inclusive habitat for all. The animals’ rights activists said this while sharing their views with the participants of webinar ‘Plight of street animals in Pakistan; state of animal rights and a need for legislation’, organized by the Sustainable Development Policy Institute (SDPI), here on Wednesday.

Representing Rabies Free Pakistan (RFP), Dr Wajiha Javed, emphasized on a multisectoral approach to sensitize the society about the animals’ rights. Instead of condoning dogs, she explained, we need to vaccinate the dogs for the rabies. Besides, dogs’ population could be controlled in a more humane way, instead killing them, or poisoning them.

“The provincial and district governments need to work with the animal protection organizations to treat the rabies infected dogs and scientifically control their population,” Dr Javed said.  She also highlighted the need to create awareness among people through textbooks by including lessons which shows compassion towards animals.

Ms Zeba Masood, Founder Lucky Animal Protection Shelter (LAPS), Peshawar, our young generation should be sensitized about the cruelty against the animals. She lamented that the absence of any act in the province is an unfortunate apathy towards the animal rights.

Animal Rights Activist, Ms Faryal Haq Nawaz, was of view that the lack of support from our legal, political, and social system has been the main hurdle in treating animal with kindness. She added further that ‘We need to take smart leverage on all the existing law and rules regarding animals and put personal effort to create a better planet for the animals.”

Founder ACF Animal Rescue, Ms Ayesha Chundrigar, was of the view that we need to work on the broader picture by changing overall behavior towards animals, along with legislations.

“we need to humanize the animals and make an inclusive planet for all creatures,” Ms Chundrigar said and added that inculcating a right sense towards animals in the young generation is the need of the hour today.

Ms Rabia Umaima Ahmed, Freelance Journalist, advocate of animal and digital rights, said that the journalists are not equipped enough to do in-depth research on animal rights.  Mr Owais Awan, Advocate Islamabad High Court on the occasion opined that we need to make Public private bodies to act as watchdog to prevent cruelty against animals. Pakistan being a signatory to OIE, which make it abide to protect animals from all types of harm and violence, he added.

Ms Ayesha Ilyas, Research fellow at SDPI earlier opined that compassion and kindness towards animals in our behavior is the key to bring a change in the society and create a better environment for all the coinheritors of the planet.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 20 (DNA) -The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has on 7th January 2021 commenced hearings in the proceedings against Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA) and 84 member mills for prima facie cartelization, in violation of section 4 of the Competition Act 2010.

Hearings were held on 7th, 8th, 11th, 15th and 20th January 2021 respectively and the CCP has so far heard PSMA and 40 sugar mills through their respective counsels.

The matter was initially fixed for hearing on 20th, 24th and 25th November 2020, however, owing to respondents’ requests adjournments were granted on various grounds.

Finally first round of hearings are underway with counsels raising their preliminary objections before the bench of CCP. Owing to importance of the matter, a full bench of CCP comprising Chairperson Ms. Rahat Kaunain Hassan and Members Ms. Shaista Bano, Ms. Bushra Naz Malik and Mr. Mujtaba Lodhi is hearing the matter.

PSMA and its members are being provided with an opportunity of hearing to plead their cases with reference to the prima facie violations indicated in their respective Show Cause Notices (SCN) issued in November 2020.

As per enquiry report of the CCP, PSMA and 84 sugar mills have been found to be in prima facie violation of the Act of 2010 by controlling domestic stocks/supplies through the determination of export quantities, creating zonal divisions in Punjab to coordinate on sales, stock positions and production quota to monitor and control quantity to be sold.

It was also found that PSMA’s platform in Punjab Zone was used to share sensitive commercial stock information having a direct bearing on current and future prices of white refined sugar. Furthermore, certain mills are alleged to have used PSMA’s platform to take a collective decision to divide amongst themselves the quantity of sugar to be supplied for 02 USC tenders.

Another allegation is that 15 mills in Punjab Zone collectively decided to cease crushing activity from 30th December 2019 to 11th January 2020.

Further hearings in the matter are scheduled in the following weeks. The bench of CCP will pass an order after hearing the respondents’ pleadings in the matter.=DNA

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ISLAMABAD, JAN 20 (DNA) – President Arif Alvi has said that Pakistan highly values its close and fraternal ties with Libya and wants to further promote bilateral relations in all areas of mutual interest. He gave these remarks while talking to the Ambassador-designate of Pakistan to Libya, Major General (R) Rashad Javeed, who called on him, Aiwan-e-Sadr, today.

While congratulating the Ambassador-designate on his appointment, the President urged him to take steps for improving commercial relations with Libya and work for the welfare of Pakistani diaspora. He welcomed the cessation of hostilities in Libya and said that Pakistan stood by Libyan people in their quest for peace and prosperity.

He asked the Ambassador to work for improving the image of the country as well as expose India’s real face which had unleashed a reign of terror against the Muslim population of Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir.

Later, the High Commissioner-designate of Pakistan to Rwanda, Mr Amir Muhammad Khan, also called on the President. Talking to the High Commissioner-designate, the President said that Pakistan and Rwanda enjoyed cordial relations which needed to be further enhanced. He stated that both countries had great potential for enhanced trade and economic relations.

He stressed the need for initiating bilateral political consultations with Rwanda and exchange of visits at the Ministerial level that would help in further strengthening bilateral relations.

Appreciating the Government’s decision to open five new Missions in Africa after a long time, he expressed the hope that the opening of new missions would further solidify relations with African countries under the “Engage Africa” policy of the present government.=DNA

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