America crosses a risky crossroads as Biden becomes US president

WASHINGTON, Jan 20: America leapfrogged a risky crossroads as Joe Biden was eventually sworn in as the 46th US president Wednesday, drawing the curtain on the most tumultuous administration of modern times and charting a new course to tackle Covid-19 and unite a splintered nation. Outgoing President Donald Trump entered the White House four years ago as a brash billionaire outsider, but he is being ousted by a polar opposite whose deep knowledge of Washington and personal scars will unquestionably set a different tone. Biden, a 78-year-old former vice president and longtime senator, took the oath of office at noon (1700 GMT) on the US Capitol’s western front, the very spot where pro-Trump rioters clashed with police two weeks ago...  read more>>