Connect with us

Latest News

Donald Trump assumes the oath of office as the 47th President of the United States.

Published

3 hours ago

on

Donald Trump is sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

Chief Justice John Roberts of the US Supreme Court administered the oath of office to Donald Trump at Capitol Hill. Trump positioned his hand on a Bible within the US Capitol shortly before noon ET (1700 GMT) and recited the oath of office to “preserve, protect and defend” the US Constitution.

The ceremony attracted 500,000 attendees. Chief Justice Roberts has given the oath of office to Barack Obama in 2009 and 2013, Donald Trump in 2017, and Joe Biden in 2021.

Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the vice presidential oath of office to JD Vance.

Oath of inauguration for JD Vance

A crowd of hundreds, comprising members of Congress, leaders of the US high-tech sector, and other dignitaries, erupted in cheers and ovation as Donald Trump entered a crowded Capitol Rotunda to the US Marine Band’s “Hail, America” march.

Biden and outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris, who was defeated by Trump in November, were present in the Capitol’s Rotunda, accompanied by former presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who was defeated by Trump in 2016, arrived with her husband Bill, while Michelle Obama opted not to attend. Respectful applause erupted in the overflow chamber as Joe Biden and Kamala Harris made their entrance into the rotunda. Enthusiastic applause erupted for JD Vance.

Trump’s fans inside the Capital One Arena vociferously booed upon viewing footage of Bill and Hillary Clinton arriving for Trump’s swearing-in event on a large screen. Trump’s followers expressed their discontent with boos upon the arrival of former Democratic President Barack Obama. United States Senator Bernie Sanders was also present.
Thunderous applause ensued with the arrival of Trump’s children at the inauguration ceremony. The most resounding applause was directed towards Barron Trump, his youngest offspring, who is 18 years old.

A multitude of technology executives, including the world’s three wealthiest individuals—Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and SpaceX; Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon; and Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta—sought to gain favor with the incoming administration and occupied prominent positions on stage alongside cabinet nominees and members of Trump’s family.

Priscilla Chan, spouse of Zuckerberg, and Lauren Sanchez, partner of Jeff Bezos, were also present at the ceremony. Boxing icon Mike Tyson was present as well. Sam Altman was conspicuously absent from the Rotunda gathering of technology CEOs, seated quietly in an aisle seat in Emancipation Hall, observing the proceedings on the screen.

Sam Altman was conspicuously absent from the Rotunda gathering of technology CEOs and was seated quietly in an aisle seat in Emancipation Hall, observing the proceedings on the screen.

Argentine President Javier Milei, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Chinese Vice President Han Zhengwei, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Ecuadorian President Daniel Anouk, Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, and former Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki were present at Donald Trump’s swearing-in ceremony by special invitation.

A significant assembly of individuals from across the globe, including Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, participated in Donald Trump’s inauguration event.

Biden, in one of his final official actions, pardoned numerous individuals whom Trump had sought to retaliate against, including former White House senior medical adviser Anthony Fauci, former Republican US Representative Liz Cheney, and former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley.

Trump would reinstate the federal death sentence, which Biden had halted, and mandate that official U.S. documents, including passports, indicate residents’ gender as designated at birth, incoming administration officials informed reporters.

What constitutes the oath of office?
The US Constitution stipulates that “Before assuming the Execution of his Office, he shall take the following Oath or Affirmation: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my Ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Which Bible is utilized for the swearing-in ceremony?
The president-elect generally places their left hand on the Bible while reciting the oath of office, but this practice is not mandated by the US Constitution.
At times, presidents have selected a particular portion to commence their reading of the Bible, while others have approached it either randomly or with it remaining closed.

In 2017, Trump took his oath on the Abraham Lincoln Bible. He will utilize it again on Monday, alongside his own Bible, which was bestowed upon him by his mother in 1955 to commemorate his Sunday Church Primary School graduation. Biden utilized a family Bible that he had employed for his swearing-in to every political position throughout his career.

Barack Obama selected the Bible of Martin Luther King, Jr.

In 2001, George W. Bush aspired to utilize the Masonic Bible employed by George Washington in 1789 and by his father, George H.W. Bush, in 1989.

It was conveyed under security from New York to Washington for the event; however, inclement weather necessitated its replacement with a family Bible.

Franklin D. Roosevelt utilized the identical Bible for each of his four inaugurations. It is the earliest document utilized at an inauguration, printed in 1686, and the sole one composed in a contemporary foreign language—Dutch.

However, not all individuals utilized a Bible.

John Quincy Adams swore his oath on a volume of law, however Theodore Roosevelt did not utilize any book during his swearing-in after the assassination of William McKinley.

Trump was proclaimed victorious in the US general election on November 5, garnering 312 electoral votes, whereas his opponent Kamala Harris obtained 226 electoral votes.

Additionally, Naqvi is in the United States to participate in Donald Trump’s inaugural ceremony.

Donald Trump assured his constituents during the electoral campaign that he would enact executive orders on his inaugural day in office that would astonish the public.

Trump’s electoral campaign commitments: Deportation initiative

Donald Trump pledged to initiate the most extensive deportation program in American history on his inaugural day in office. Fox News reports that he is expected to announce a border emergency and authorize the military to assume control of the management of the nation’s southern border.

Wall construction

Upon assuming the presidency in 2016, Trump mandated the construction of a wall along the Mexican border. Certain sections of this wall have been constructed; however, the majority remains unfinished, and Trump may attempt to finalize this incomplete project.

Release of hostages from the January 6 rioting

In 2021, numerous individuals were convicted for their participation in the US Capitol riots, many of whom Trump plans to pardon. Trump stated in a CNN interview: “I support pardoning many of them.” I cannot speak for all, but some individuals became exceedingly unruly. It is noteworthy that 1,500 individuals were apprehended following these riots, with 600 receiving sentences.

TikTok

Recently, Donald Trump pledged to enact an order to suspend the legislation prohibiting the Chinese social media platform TikTok. Initially, Trump endorsed the prohibition of TikTok, but subsequently altered his stance, claiming that his videos garnered billions of views on the platform during his presidential campaign.

Revocation of birthright citizenship

Trump has deemed the 150-year-old constitutional right to citizenship by birth on American soil as “ridiculous” and has declared his intention to abolish it on his first day in office. However, implementing this by an executive order will be exceedingly challenging due to the constitutional guarantee of this liberty.

Trump has stated his intention to terminate the regulation prohibiting federal immigration authorities from conducting raids on churches or schools.

Customs duties

Trump has declared his intention to implement tariffs on imported items to prioritize American products.

Trump slapped taxes on Chinese goods during his initial term, which Joe Biden upheld. He is advocating for a 10 percent duty on all imports, a 25 percent levy on items from Canada and Mexico, and tariffs of up to 60 percent on Chinese products.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Latest News

In Lahore, there are now three new passport offices.

Published

3 hours ago

on

By

At the NADRA mega centers in Sandah, Peco Road, and Shimla Pahari, three new passport offices have been built in Lahore. These offices are located in the city.

People who are now able to take advantage of simplified services have expressed their satisfaction with this initiative, which was carried out under the direction of the chairman of the NADRA and the director general of passports.

In the past, there were five passport offices in operation in Lahore. These offices were located in Shahdara, Quaid-e-Azam Interchange, Raiwind, and Garden Town for example. With the addition of the three additional offices, the total number has climbed to eight. This has resulted in a major reduction in the workload that is placed on the facilities that are already in place, as well as better accessibility for those those who are applying for passports.

Offices at Sandah and Peco Road are open until 10 o’clock at night, whereas the Shimla Pahari office is open around the clock around the clock.
Services that are integrated: These facilities now provide services for both identity cards and passports under one roof by offering integrated services.
Residents have voiced their contentment, underscoring the convenience of being able to access a variety of services from a single location. “This is a great initiative; it saves time and makes the process more efficient,” according to a particular candidate.

In order to meet the ever-increasing demand for passport services in the city, Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi gave the edict that these new facilities should be established.

You may also be interested in reading: the fast-track passport facility expansion to 26 other cities

The Directorate of Immigration and Passports, in the meantime, made an announcement regarding the expansion of its expedited passport service to a total of forty-seven cities across Pakistan, bringing the overall number of cities to forty-six. Additionally, a notification pertaining to this matter has been distributed.

It was previously only available in big cities such as Islamabad, Karachi, Lahore, Peshawar, and Quetta; however, in order to improve the convenience of the general population, the fast track service will now be made available in a number of other places.

Individuals who live in Attock, Chakwal, Sargodha, Hafizabad, Mianwali, and Bhakkar are now able to take advantage of this service for accelerated passport issue, as stated in the announcement.

Additionally, the expansion encompasses the districts of Kohat, Swabi, Swat, DI Khan, Bannu, Hangu, Abbottabad, and Haripur in the province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A number of important cities in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), such as Muzaffarabad, Mirpur, Bagh, Kotli, and Rawalakot, have also been made available to customers with the service.

Continue Reading

Business

According to projections made by the World Bank, Pakistan’s gross domestic product will expand by 2.8% during the fiscal year 2024-25.

Published

3 hours ago

on

By

A significant gain of 0.5% from its previous estimate of 2.3% in June 2024, the World Bank has updated its forecast for the growth of Pakistan’s gross domestic product for the fiscal year 2024-25 to 2.8%.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has projected a growth rate of 3%, and our prediction falls short of that projection. Additionally, the government’s goal growth rate of 3.6% is lower than this prediction.

Pakistan’s growth is still relatively slow in comparison to that of its neighbors in the region, as stated in the World Bank’s World Economic Prospects Report 2025.

With a growth rate of 6.7%, India is anticipated to top the South Asian region. Bhutan, with a growth rate of 7.2%, Maldives, with a growth rate of 4.7%, Nepal, with a growth rate of 5.1%, Bangladesh, with a growth rate of 4.1%, and Sri Lanka, with a growth rate of 3.5% should follow.

The findings of the analysis reveal that although Pakistan’s economy is showing signs of minor improvement, it is still confronted with substantial obstacles. The nation’s foreign exchange reserves have been strengthened as a result of the fact that inflation, which had reached double digits in previous years, has now fallen to single digits for the first time since 2021.

Following the elections that took place in February 2024, the administration has implemented stringent fiscal and monetary policies, which have contributed to a reduction in uncertainty. This improvement can be linked to these policies.

It is anticipated that Pakistan’s per capita income will continue to be low until the year 2026, according to the World Bank, despite the fact that some favorable improvements have occurred. Not only does this reflect broader regional patterns, but it also underscores the fact that Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are also facing comparable issues.

The rising weight of debt was another topic that was brought up in the report. It is anticipated that interest payments will increase in both Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The ratio of Pakistan’s debt to its gross domestic product is expected to steadily decrease, assuming that the government continues to uphold its commitment to the existing loan arrangement with the International Monetary Fund. A warning was issued by the World Bank, stating that any deviation from the program might have a significant impact on the economic operations of the country. The World Bank emphasized the significance of complying to the requirements of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Despite the fact that the country’s inflation rate has been moderated and its reserves have been strengthened, experts have pointed out that the implementation of structural reforms and the management of external debt are the most important factors in determining the country’s long-term economic stability.

According to a report published by the World Bank, Pakistan needs to provide consistent policies and a stable macroeconomic environment in order to maintain investor confidence.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Providing the best travel facilities as a top priority is a key priority for the provision of safety measures on highways.

Published

3 hours ago

on

By

In accordance with the directives issued by Prime Minister Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, the National Highway Authority is to ensure that all broken protection fences on highways are repaired as quickly as possible within a month and to take strict punishment against those who steal or destroy the fences.

On various occasions, the Prime Minister presided over review meetings that were focused on issues concerning the National Highway Authority (NHA) and safety measures on the National Highways and Motorways.

The importance of the nation’s roadways and highways as the foundation of national development and the economy of the country was underlined by Shehbaz Sharif.

According to him, one of the most important goals of the administration is to ensure that all of the travel facilities have the greatest possible facilities across the country.

The work that is associated with the construction of the Sukkur-Hyderabad Motorway, the remaining portions of the Ratodero-Gwadar Motorway, the Hyderabad-Karachi Motorway, the Karachi-Quetta-Chaman National Highway, and the reconstruction of some portions of the Karakoram Highway was to be reviewed by a steering committee that he directed to be established through his directive.

It was also directed by the Prime Minister that the development work on these significant national projects should be completed as quickly and as expeditiously as possible.

Continue Reading

Trending