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Trump: Biden Hosts Obamas To Unveil Portraits

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Former US president Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama will finally be honored Wednesday with the official unveiling of their portraits in the White House, resuming a tradition that fell by the wayside under Donald Trump.

Biden, who served as vice president throughout Obama’s two terms, is “looking forward to welcoming back president Obama and Michelle Obama,” Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters.

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Over the course of their eight years together in office, a close partnership between the two men grew through the highs and lows of the job and life – and of life.”

Past presidents and first ladies have typically had their portraits hung in the halls and corridors of the White House after ceremonies hosted by successors. Democrat Obama, for example, hosted George W. Bush, a Republican, and his wife Laura Bush at portrait unveilings in 2012.

READ ALSO: War: ‘You’re Doing Great Job, Thank You,’ Biden Tells Turkish President

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However, Trump declined to invite the Obamas — amid undisguised contempt between both leaders in the wake of the Republican’s shock 2016 election win — and the tradition ground to a halt.

The norm-shredding Republican even reportedly ordered portraits of Bush and his predecessor Bill Clinton to be taken down from the walls of the White House’s Grand Foyer and put in storage. However, a portrait of Hillary Clinton, the former first lady whom Trump had defeated in the presidential campaign, remained visible in a lower corridor through his tempestuous one term.

Obama’s latest return to the White House comes five months after a high-profile homecoming for a public event on health care spending.

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The Obamas’ paintings remained strictly under wraps until the last moment, but there were expectations that the trend-setting ex-first couple would choose a style somewhat different to the often straightforward portraits of the past.

As for Trump, the Biden administration says it has no direct say on whether or when his own portrait could be hung up. It is not clear whether the ex-president, now in deep legal peril after the discovery of top secret documents taken from the White House to his Florida golf club, has even commissioned an official painting.

AFP.

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19-year-old Nigerian Artiste Beaten To Death In Ghana

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A 19-year-old upcoming Nigerian artiste identified simply as Destiny has been beaten to death in the Volta Region area of Ghana.

According to The PUNCH, the incident happened on May 28.

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It was gathered that a yet-to-be-identified Nigerian based in Ghana accused him of failing to remit funds related to a business venture they introduced him to.

The male adult, who was also said to be among those who facilitated his trip to the country, stormed his apartment alongside two others to question him about the funds.

However, Destiny’s failure to provide answers led to a severe assault meted out to him.

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READ ALSO: Tailor Stabs Man To Death In Ondo

A source privy to the incident told The PUNCH on Tuesday on the condition of anonymity because he lacked the authority to speak with the media that the Edo State-born artiste thereafter succumbed to the injuries sustained from the assault.

Destiny went to Ghana to further his education, and the travel was facilitated by someone he called his street brother. These are the same people who provided an apartment for him over there. Those who broke the news to us from there said the men introduced him to a business, which they later accused him of diverting some funds meant for the business. This angered them, and they went to his apartment and beat him up. The beating was so intense that he felt weak and gave up the ghost in the process,” the source narrated.

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It was further learnt that the suspects left the deceased’s body in the room after they discovered that he was motionless.

Another source who spoke to newsmen said the police later discovered the corpse a few days after the incident.

READ ALSO: Shun Consumption Of Animal Skin To Stave Off Cancer, Don advises

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The police were alerted to the incident, and some officers were deployed to the apartment where Destiny’s remains were found. We were told that no suspects had been arrested since his death. We hope the Ghanaian authorities find his killers and bring them to justice.”

In a video obtained by The PUNCH, Destiny was seen speaking about himself and what his plans were.

He said, “I am Destiny and I am a streamer from Nigeria. I want to apply to Streamers University, and this will be a great joy for me, my mother, and everybody. I am also an artiste and a gamer. I do all sorts of things.”

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Recall that in April a 77-year-old Nigerian Uber driver, Olatunji Bolaji, was killed in a shooting outside a hookah lounge in Philadelphia, United States.

READ ALSO: 14-year-old Stabs Teacher To Death

Bolaji, who lived in Norristown, Pennsylvania, was on duty around 2 a.m. on Wednesday when he picked up a passenger, a 22-year-old man, outside the Byblos Hookah Bar near Rittenhouse Square in Centre City, CBS reports on Friday.

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Police said shortly after Bolaji picked up the young man, another vehicle pulled up behind his SUV, and two men got out.

One of them opened fire, shooting both Bolaji and the passenger.

 

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Nine Dead In Austria School Shooting

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A mass shooting at a secondary school in Austria’s second-largest city has left nine people dead and at least 10 others injured in what authorities are calling one of the country’s worst school attacks in recent history, Al-Jazeera reported.

Police were called to BORG Dreierschutzengasse school in Graz on Tuesday morning after reports of gunfire. Emergency services responded swiftly and secured the area.

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Authorities later confirmed that the suspected shooter had died by suicide, bringing the total number of dead to ten, including the attacker.

READ ALSO: China Reacts After Australia Bans DeepSeek On Govt Devices

According to local officials, at least seven of those killed were students. Graz Mayor Elke Kahr described the shooting as a “terrible tragedy.” One adult was also among the dead, though their identity has not yet been released.

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The incident reportedly began shortly after 10 a.m. local time and unfolded across two classrooms. Students, many aged 14 and older, were evacuated and are now receiving psychological support alongside their families.

The attacker is believed to have acted alone and is reported to be a former school student. The motive behind the shooting remains unclear.

 

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17 Palestinians Killed In Israeli Strikes Near Gaza Aid Site

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At least 17 Palestinians were killed and dozens more injured on Tuesday near a humanitarian aid distribution site in central Gaza, according to local health authorities as reported by Reuters.

The casualties reportedly occurred as large crowds of displaced residents gathered in the area to receive aid.

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The deaths were attributed to Israeli gunfire by Gaza’s health officials.

The Israeli military said its forces had fired warning shots at “suspects who were advancing in the area of Wadi Gaza and posed a threat to the troops.”

READ ALSO: Anxiety As Netanyahu Tells UN To Move Lebanon Peacekeepers Out Of ‘Harm’s Way’

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It added that it was aware of reports that several were injured, but said numbers released by local health authorities did not align with the information it had collected.

The warning shots were fired hundreds of meters from the aid distribution site, prior to its opening hours and toward the suspects who posed a threat to the troops,” the military added.

Medics confirmed that those injured were transported to Al-Awda Hospital in the Nuseirat refugee camp and Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza City.

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The Israeli military contested the reported casualty figures but acknowledged that several people were wounded during the incident.

READ ALSO: Five Feared Killed As Military Clashes With Shi’ite Protesters In Abuja

The shooting occurred in an area where the military has labelled a hazardous zone for its personnel.

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This came after a warning issued last week by the Israeli army, advising Palestinians to avoid roads leading to Gaza Humanitarian Foundation sites between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., which were designated as “closed military zones.”

The incident adds to growing concerns over civilian safety amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. Just last week, at least 27 Palestinians were reported killed near another aid site in Rafah, also by Israeli fire.

That event marked the third consecutive day of disruption to aid operations, according to local health officials.

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READ ALSO: Pope Receives Relatives Of Captives, Calls For Peace In Israel, Palestine

Day after day, casualties & scores of injured are reported at distribution points manned by Israel & private security companies,” Philippe Lazzarini, the chief of the United Nations Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA), wrote on X.

This humiliating system continues to force thousands of hungry & desperate people to walk for tens of miles excluding the most vulnerable & those living too far,” he said.

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The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the Oct. 7, 2023, single deadliest day.

Israel’s military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave.

AFP

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