Joe Biden has arrived at Leinster House in Dublin and he paused for a picture in front of the structure.
Speaker of the Dail Sean O Fearghail and Chair of the Seanad Jerry Buttimer welcomed him.
In a moment, Mr. Biden will address the Irish parliament.
In a televised address, Senegal’s president declared that he is “ready to conversation,” weeks after a prominent rival who is on trial accused him of employing a “policy of terror” to drive out political rivals.
At an address on Monday night, President Macky Sall made the remarks ahead of Tuesday’s independence day celebrations, which the Yewwi Askan Wi opposition coalition has decided to boycott.
The country is less than a year away from presidential elections, and last month there was an outcry when Mr Sall said it wouldn’t be illegal for him to seek a third term in power despite the constitution limiting presidents to two consecutive terms.
He has not yet officially declared whether he intends to step down or run for top office again.
Putin’s internet and state television was down in all 13 time zones of Russia.
All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company was targeted by the “hacks.”
A “serious hack” prevented the broadcast of Vladimir Putin‘s speech from going across all of Russia.
Instead of the Russian president’s speech to his Parliament, the message “Mistake 500” was broadcast on the state channels’ websites.
The web links of state channels saw the message ‘Mistake 500’ displayed, rather than the Russian president’s speech to his Parliament.
It appeared the problem reached the state broadcaster – All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company (VGTRK) – across all 11 of Russia’s time zones.
State-run RIA Novosti news agency said the outage was caused by a distributed denial of service attack.
Radio Mayak – also blocked – said the web channels were hit by hackers.
Before the speech started, state TV broadcast a segment showing technical preparations, saying the live stream would be carried across all major networks.
In his rambling address to the country, Putin claimed he ‘didn’t start the war’, referring to it as a ‘special military operation’.
He claimed Ukrainians have been waiting for his troops to ‘come to their help’ and that the West released a ‘genie in a bottle.’
‘They started the war and we used the force to stop it,’ he said.
Putin repeatedly addressed the situation in the Donbas region – where vast areas are controlled by Russian separatist groups as a result of the war.
In his speech, he continued: ‘Step by step, carefully and consistently, we will resolve the tasks facing us.
‘Since 2014, the [people of the] Donbas had been fighting, defending their right to live on their own land, to speak their native language.
Putin: Ukraine started the war, West have kept it going
‘They fought and did not give up in the conditions of blockade and constant shelling, undisguised hatred on the part of the Kyiv regime.
‘We patiently tried to negotiate a peaceful way out of this most difficult conflict, but a completely different scenario was being prepared behind our backs.’
President Akufo-Addo has called on Africa’s military to combine their capabilities to counter the insecurities that plague the continent.
According to the President, the link between transnational organised crime and terrorism was a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, posing a concrete threat to international peace and development of states.
President Akufo-Addo said this in a speech read on his behalf at the opening ceremony of a two day International Defence Exhibition and Conference (IDEC) 2022 at Burma Camp, Accra and was under the theme “strengthening international collaboration to combat terrorism and transnational organised crimes.”
The two-day event brought together delegates from the top hierarchy of Armed Forces, law enforcement agencies, academia, military solution providers and other stakeholders in the defence industry from Africa and beyond.
Also present were international security experts and over 60 exhibitors from across the globe.
The event was aimed at deliberating on the growing threat of terrorism and other transnational crimes that posed significant security concerns in the region and adopt strategies to comprehensively address the emerging security concern.
President Akufo-Addo said there were close linkages between terrorism and criminal groups, whose main agenda was to exploit porous borders and weak governments hence the need to ensure effective and efficient international and regional cooperation in dealing with criminal matters related to terrorism.
“Establishing strong cooperation agreements among member states worldwide will help facilitate request for mutual legal assistance and extradition which plays an important part in the prosecution of cases transcending national borders,” he said.
He mentioned that the use of electronic surveillance, undercover operations and use of informants had proven to be effective techniques that had assisted investigative agencies to combat organised crime and transnational crimes.
“We need to develop and strengthen legislation to criminalise the laundering of proceeds of crime, train officials and increase the ability to identify and interdict cross-border transportation of illegal cash or other negotiable instruments as a major step in stopping organised crime in the sub-region and the world at large,” President Akufo-Addo said.
He explained that tackling the insecurities in the sub region was of urgent importance to the government of Ghana considering the fact that most of the factors hindering the continent’s economic development included public borrowing, trade deficit, military expenditure, low level of technological innovation, political turbulences and corruption.
The Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Vice Admiral Seth Amoama, said in order to achieve the aim of the event there was the need for a multi-dimensional strategy that safeguards citizens, breaks the financial strength of criminals and terrorist networks.
He also indicated that there was the need for an approach that disrupts illicit traffic networks, defeats transnational crime organisations, fights corruption, strengthens the rule of law, bolsters judicial systems and improves transparency.
The CDS mentioned that the first day of the event would focus on terrorism and transnational organised crimes and while today would be for open discussions on initiatives to counter-terrorism and transnational organised crimes at an offsite location which would be hosted separately by the various Service Chiefs of the Ghana Armed Forces.
Liz Truss announced to the audience at the end of her address that she is “ready to make difficult decisions.”
She tells her supporters that “you can trust me to do what it takes”, adding that “the status quo is not an option”.
Ms Truss continues: “That is why we cannot give into the voices of decline. We cannot give in to those who say Britain can’t grow faster.
“We cannot give in to those who say we can’t do better. We must stay the course.
“We are the only party with a clear plan to get Britain moving. We are the only party with the determination to deliver.
“Together, we can unleash the full potential of our great country. That is how we will build a new Britain for a new era.”
Ms Meloni is widely expected to form Italy’s most right-wing government since World War Two.
That will alarm much of Europe as Italy is the EU’s third-biggest economy.
However, speaking after the vote, Ms Meloni said her Brothers of Italy party would “govern for everyone” and would not betray people’s trust.
“Italians have sent a clear message in favour of a right-wing government led by Brothers of Italy,” she told reporters in Rome, holding up a sign saying “Thank you Italy”.
She is set to win 26% of the vote, based on provisional results, ahead of her closest rival Enrico Letta from the centre left.
Ms Meloni’s right-wing alliance – which also includes Matteo Salvini’s far-right League and former PM Silvio Berlusconi’s centre-right Forza Italia – will take control of both the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies, with around 44% of the vote.
Her own party’s dramatic success in the vote disguised the fact that her allies performed poorly, with Mr Salvini’s party slipping below 9%, and Forza Italia even lower. Four years ago, Brothers of Italy won little more than 4% of the vote but this time benefited from staying out of the national unity government that collapsed in July.
The decision on who becomes Italy’s next leader is up to the president, Sergio Mattarella, and that will take time.
Although Giorgia Meloni has worked hard to soften her image, emphasising her support for Ukraine and diluting anti-EU rhetoric, she leads a party rooted in a post-war movement that rose out of dictator Benito Mussolini’s fascists.
Earlier this year she outlined her priorities in a raucous speech to Spain’s far-right Vox party: “Yes to the natural family, no to the LGBT lobby, yes to sexual identity, no to gender ideology… no to Islamist violence, yes to secure borders, no to mass migration… no to big international finance… no to the bureaucrats of Brussels!”
The centre-left alliance was a long way behind the right with 26% of the vote and Democratic Party figure Debora Serracchiani said it was a sad evening for Italy. The right “has the majority in parliament, but not in the country”, she insisted.
The left failed to form a viable challenge with other parties after Italy’s 18-month unity government fell apart, and officials were downbeat even before the vote. The Five Star Movement under Giuseppe Conte won a convincing third place – but does not see eye to eye with Enrico Letta even though they have several policies in common on immigration and raising the minimum wage.
Turnout fell to a record low of 63.91% – nine points down on 2018. Voting levels were especially poor in southern regions including Sicily.
Italy is a founding father of the European Union and a member of Nato, and Ms Meloni’s rhetoric on the EU places her close to Hungary’s nationalist leader Viktor Orban.
Her allies have both had close ties with Russia. Mr Berlusconi, 85, claimed last week that Vladimir Putin was pushed into invading Ukraine while Mr Salvini has called into question Western sanctions on Moscow.
Ms Meloni wants to revisit Italian reforms agreed with the EU in return for almost €200bn (£178bn) in post-Covid recovery grants and loans, arguing that the energy crisis has changed the situation.
Image source, ReutersThe Hungarian prime minister’s long-serving political director, Balazs Orban, was quick to congratulate Italy’s right-wing parties: “We need more than ever friends who share a common vision and approach to Europe’s challenges.”
In France, Jordan Bardella of the far-right National Rally said Italian voters had given European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen a lesson in humility. She had earlier said Europe had “the tools” to respond if Italy went in a “difficult direction”.
However, Prof Gianluca Passarrelli of Rome’s Sapienza University told the BBC he thought she would avoid rocking the boat on Europe and focus on other policies: “I think we will see more restrictions on civil rights and policies on LGBT and immigrants.”
Mr Salvini will be hoping to return to the interior ministry to halt migrant boats crossing from Libya.
This election marks a one-third reduction in the size of the two houses, and that appears to have benefited the winning parties.
A Rai TV exit poll suggested the three parties will hold 227-257 seats in the revamped 400-seat Chamber and 111-131 seats out of a total of 200 seats in the Senate. Mr Salvini said the right had a clear advantage in both houses.
The same Rai poll also reveals just how dominant the Meloni-led coalition is likely to be. The centre left will hold a mere 78-98 seats in the Chamber and 33-53 in the Senate, it says.