Plus: Putin takes charge in Carlson's interview, and The White Lotus picks a new location
| | | Hello. US President Joe Biden has hit back at a Department of Justice report into his handling of classified documents that suggested his memory had significant limitations. Anthony Zurcher looks into the report's political repercussions. Russian President Vladimir Putin sat down for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, and was very much in the driving seat, writes Sarah Rainsford. Fans of the HBO show The White Lotus should scroll further to see the location of the upcoming third season, and anyone who loves horses will appreciate a story about their skills in rehabilitating offenders. |
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| | Top of the agenda | Biden strongly rejects memory assessment | | Questions around his age and competency to serve for another four years have long dogged Joe Biden. Credit: Reuters |
| US President Joe Biden didn't mince his words during a surprise news briefing that followed the publication of a report focused on his handling of classified documents from his time as vice-president. The report highlighted memory lapses that included Mr Biden's inability to recall specific years of life events, such as his term as vice-president and the death of his son, Beau. One of the report's most damning passages described Mr Biden as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory". To this, Mr Biden replied: "I am well-meaning, and am elderly. I know what the hell I'm doing. I put this country back on its feet." But as polls indicate that his age is a major concern for voters in the upcoming presidential election, the 81-year-old's incensed response to the report is unlikely to be the last word on this matter. | | |
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| | | | AT THE SCENE | Bathinda, India | Punjabis' fading Canadian dream | For more than a century, India's northwestern province of Punjab has seen waves of overseas migration. But some, especially from Canada, are now choosing to come back home. | | Twenty-eight-year-old Balkar returned to Punjab in early 2023 after just one year in Toronto. Citizenship was his ultimate goal when he left his little hamlet of Pitho in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. His family mortgaged their land to fund his education. But his Canadian dream quickly lost its allure a few months into his life there. "Everything was so expensive. I had to work 50 hours every week after college, just to survive," he told the BBC. "I have a good life here. Why should I face hardships there when I can live at home and make good money?" he asks. |
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| | Beyond the headlines | Japan's earthquake-ravaged town | | The 7.6 magnitude earthquake killed 241 people, while 11 remain missing. About 55,000 buildings were destroyed or badly damaged. Credit: BBC |
| More than a month since a powerful earthquake shook Japan's remote Noto peninsula on New Year's Day, the city centre of one of the worst-hit towns remains in ruins. Correspondent Shaimaa Khalil visits Wajima to investigates the extent of the devastation. | | |
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| | Something different | Back to the White Lotus | The hit HBO show about the guests of a luxury hotel picked its latest location. | |
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| | And finally... | A crime prevention charity in the English village of Butleigh in Somerset has been offering a rehabilitation programme for men who have a history of drug and gang-related offences focused on equine therapy for more than a decade. The charity's founder Eva Hamilton MBE credits the horses' ability to get the men to open up for the programme's success. |
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| | | US Election Unspun newsletter | Cut through the noise in the race for the White House, every Wednesday to your inbox. | |
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