News
Biden, Obama, Bush and others pay tribute to Colin Powell at his funeral
Hundreds of masked mourners — including President Biden and former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush — gathered at Washington National Cathedral on Friday to pay their respects to Gen. Colin Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and secretary of state.
Powell died on Oct. 18 of complications from COVID-19. He was 84. Powell’s family said he had been vaccinated but that his immune system had been compromised by multiple myeloma, a blood cancer for which he had been undergoing treatment.
Madeleine Albright, who preceded Powell as secretary of state; Richard Armitage, who was Powell’s deputy secretary of state; and Powell’s son, Michael, delivered the eulogies.
“On policy, the general and I didn’t always reach the same conclusions,” Albright said. “And in fact he would later recount that one of my comments almost gave him an aneurysm. But over the past quarter century we also became very close friends.
“The reason is, that beneath that glossy exterior of warrior statesman was one of the gentlest and most decent people any of us will ever meet,” she continued. “As I grew to know him, I came to view Colin Powell as a figure who almost transcended time, for his virtues were Homeric: honesty, dignity, loyalty and an unshakable commitment to his calling and word.
“He was also guided by conscience that unlike many never slept,” Albright added. “He made pragmatism charismatic.”
President Biden and first lady Jill Biden attend the funeral service of former Secretary of State Colin Powell at Washington National Cathedral on Friday. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Armitage recalled Powell’s “sense of humor, his insatiable curiosity and his comfort in his own skin.”
“This is a celebration of a life,” Armitage said.
“Colin Powell was a great leader because he was a great follower,” Michael Powell said as his sisters and mother, Alma, looked on. “He knew you could not ask your troops to do anything you were unwilling to do yourself.
“His zest for life was derived by his endless passion for people. He was genuinely interested in everyone he met,” Michael Powell continued. “He loved a hot dog vendor, a bank teller, a janitor and a student as much as any world leader.”
President Biden, first lady Jill Biden, former President Barack Obama, former first lady Michelle Obama, former President George W. Bush, former first lady Laura Bush and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at Colin Powell’s funeral. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Biden, Obama and Bush sat in the front row with their spouses alongside former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Former President Bill Clinton, who was recently hospitalized with an infection, did not attend, nor did former President Donald Trump, who Powell had sharply criticized.
As mourners arrived, the United States Army Brass Quintet played instrumental versions of some of Powell’s favorite songs, including Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” and ABBA’s “Dancing Queen.”
News
‘I’ll bring my plane… I plan on keeping it for another four years’ – Biden on second debate with Trump
President Biden and former President Trump agreed to hold a second debate Sept. 10 hosted by ABC News.
The two candidates had already accepted an invitation earlier Wednesday to attend a CNN debate on June 27, and both confirmed later in the day on social media that they plan to attend the ABC debate in September.
“I’ve also received and accepted an invitation to a debate hosted by ABC on Tuesday, September 10th,” Biden posted on the social platform X. “Trump says he’ll arrange his own transportation. I’ll bring my plane, too. I plan on keeping it for another four years.”
Biden, of course, is referring to the presidential jet, Air Force One.
“It is my great honor to accept the CNN Debate against Crooked Joe Biden, the WORST PRESIDENT in the History of the United States and a true Threat to Democracy, on June 27th,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “Likewise, I accept the ABC News Debate against Crooked Joe on September 10th.”
It marked a whirlwind few hours that started with Biden’s campaign publicly proposing two deabtes in June and September and ended with both candidates agreeing to a date and host.
ABC News had planned to host a GOP primary debate in New Hampshire, but it was canceled after Trump and Nikki Haley said they would not attend. Martha Raddatz of ABC co-moderated one of the 2016 presidential debates; the network did not host a debate in 2020.
The candidates have chosen to go around the Commission on Presidential Debates, the organization that has arranged the showdowns dating back to 1988.
Biden campaign chair Jen O’Malley Dillon suggested working with outlets that hosted GOP primary debates in 2016 and Democratic primary debates in 2020 to avoid any perceptions of bias.
ABUJA, NIGERIA — Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Women Affairs says it is investigating a plan by a lawmaker in central Niger state to marry off some 100 female orphans of unknown ages later this month.
Speaker of the Niger State Assembly Abdulmalik Sarkin-Daji announced the mass wedding last week but called off the ceremony following widespread outrage.
Minister of Women Affairs Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, speaking to journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, condemned the plans.
Kennedy-Ohanenye said she had petitioned the police and filed a lawsuit to stop the marriages pending an investigation to ascertain the age of the orphans and whether they consented to the marriages.
“This is totally unacceptable by the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and by the government” of Nigeria, she said.
Last week, Sarkin-Daji announced his support for the mass wedding of the orphans, whose relatives were killed during attacks by armed bandits. He said it was part of his support to his constituents following an appeal for wedding funding by local traditional and religious leaders.
The mass wedding had been scheduled for May 24.
“That support I intend to give for the marriage of those orphans, I’m withdrawing it,” he said. “The parents can have the support [money], if they wish, let them go ahead and marry them off. As it is right now, I’m not threatened by the action of the minister.”
Despite national laws prohibiting it, forced or arranged marriage is a common phenomenon in Nigeria, especially among rural communities in the predominantly Muslim north, where religious and cultural norms such as polygamy favor the practice.
Poor families often use forced marriage to ease financial pressure, and the European Union Agency for Asylum says girls who refuse could face repercussions such as neglect, ostracism, physical assault and rape.
Raquel Kasham Daniel escaped being married off as a teenager when her father died and now runs a nonprofit helping children, especially less-privileged girls, get a formal education for free.
She said the ability of women to avoid forced marriage in Nigeria depends on their income and education.
“I was 16 when I lost my dad and I was almost married off, but then I ran away from home. And that gave me the opportunity to complete my education, and now I have a better life,” Daniel said.
“So, the reason why I prioritize education is to make sure that other girls have access to quality schooling so that it will help them make informed decisions about their lives. Education not only increases our awareness as girls about our rights but also enhances our prospects for higher income earning,” she said.
Thirty percent of girls in Nigeria are married before they turn 18, according to Girls Not Brides, a global network of more than 1,400 civil society groups working to end child marriage.
-
Column2 weeks agoSecuring Truth: The Intersection of Investigative Journalism and Cyber Security in Global South Nations
-
Entertainment2 weeks agoStephcynie’s “No Lie”: A Soulful Anthem Redefining Love
-
News1 day ago‘I’ll bring my plane… I plan on keeping it for another four years’ – Biden on second debate with Trump
-
Education1 day agoBlack teen in Georgia awarded over $14m in scholarships, accepted at 231 colleges
-
News1 day agoSlovakia’s prime minister expected to survive assassination attempt
-
News1 day agoBarge slams into Galveston bridge causing collapse as oil spills into water below
-
Lifestyle1 day agoThe Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s Nigeria tour: A Round Up
-
Africa1 day agoStevie Wonder Granted Ghanaian Citizenship, Embracing His Heritage