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Joe Biden believes he could have beaten Donald Trump in last month’s US presidential election if he had stayed in the race, it has been reported.

The White House incumbent – who is set to hand over the keys to Mr Trump next month – withdrew from the race in July amid pressure over his low polling numbers and rocky performance in a televised debate against his Republican rival.

He was replaced as the Democratic Party’s candidate by Kamala Harris, who later lost to Mr Trump in November’s election.

Now it is being reported by The Washington Post that Mr Biden and some of his aides believe the 82-year-old should have stayed in the race.

Mr Biden and these aides have reportedly told people in recent days that he could have defeated Mr Trump, according to people familiar with their comments, who spoke to the paper under the condition of anonymity.

Democratic presidential nominee U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris reacts as she delivers remarks, conceding the 2024 U.S. presidential election to President-elect Donald Trump, at Howard University in Washington, U.S., November 6, 2024. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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File pic: Reuters

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Mr Biden beat Mr Trump in the 2020 election with a record number of votes, securing his first term in the White House and denying his opponent a second.

But throughout his time in the White House, there was speculation about whether he would run again in 2024, or whether he would opt for a one-term presidency.

In April last year, he announced that he would be re-running for election and entered the race for the 2024 Democratic Party nomination.

He made a case that he had beaten Mr Trump once and that, despite questions about his age, he could do it again.

US president-elect Donald Trump
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File pic: Reuters

But despite securing the Democratic Party nomination, pressure mounted after a series of embarrassing public gaffes, including in July when he introduced Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

In February, he also mistakenly claimed to have met Francois Mitterand, who died in 1996, at the G7 summit in 2021.

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From July – ‘Ladies and gentlemen: President Putin’

However, it was a jumbled performance in a television debate against Mr Trump that ultimately cost Mr Biden, with Democrats labelling it an “unmitigated disaster”, “a meltdown”, and “a slow-motion car crash”.

Ten days later, he announced he was withdrawing his candidacy, and throwing his support behind his vice president, Ms Harris.

But Ms Harris lost to Mr Trump in November’s election, with the Republican claiming a second term by clinching victory in all of the key battleground states, as well as winning the popular vote.

Mr Trump will now take office on 20 January.

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Former US president Joe Biden diagnosed with ‘aggressive’ form of prostate cancer

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Former US president Joe Biden diagnosed with 'aggressive' form of prostate cancer

Former US president Joe Biden has prostate cancer, his office has said. 

The statement said Mr Biden, who left the White House in January, is reviewing options for treatment with his physicians.

It read: “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms.

“On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5) with metastasis to the bone.

“While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive which allows for effective management.

“The President and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

U.S. President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the State Department in Washington, U.S. January 13, 2025. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein
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File pic: Reuters

According to Cancer Research UK, a Gleason score of 9 means the cancerous cells “look very abnormal” and the disease is “likely to grow quickly”.

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A source familiar with Mr Biden and his family’s thinking has told Sky’s US partner network, NBC News, that the former president is considering “multiple treatment options” – including hormone treatment for the cancer.

They added he is at his home in Wilmington, Delaware, and that as of now, it is unclear where the former president will be treated.

Mr Biden, 82, was the oldest person to ever serve as president, with concerns about his health raised regularly during his campaign for re-election last year.

After a poor debate against Donald Trump in June, he withdrew from the 2024 election and endorsed his vice president Kamala Harris.

In February 2023, he had a skin lesion removed from his chest that was a basal cell carcinoma, a common form of skin cancer.

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Mexican navy training vessel hits New York’s Brooklyn Bridge – as reports say three injured

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Mexican navy training vessel hits New York's Brooklyn Bridge - as reports say three injured

A Mexican navy ship has hit the Brooklyn Bridge during a promotional tour in New York City.

The New York Fire Department said authorities were responding to injuries but had no details about how many people might have been hurt or whether they were on the vessel or on the bridge.

Sky’s US partner network NBC News reports that at least three people were seriously injured in the incident.

The Mexican navy said in a post on X that the Cuauhtemoc, an academy training vessel, was damaged in the accident, which has prevented it from continuing its voyage.

Eyewitness video of the collision posted online showed the mast of the ship, which was flying a large Mexican flag, scraping the underneath of the bridge.

Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

The vessel then drifted toward the edge of the river as onlookers scrambled away from shore.

The Mexican navy said the status of personnel and material was under review by naval and local authorities, which were providing assistance.

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The Cuauhtemoc is about 297ft long and 40ft wide, according to the Mexican navy. It sailed for the first time in 1982.

A New York Police Department harbour unit prepares to board the Cuauhtemoc. Pic: AP
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Pic: AP

Each year, it sets out at the end of classes at the naval military school to finish cadets’ training.

It left the Mexican port of Acapulco, on the Pacific coast, on 6 April with 277 people onboard, the navy said at the time.

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One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

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One person dead after explosion outside fertility clinic in California

One person has died in a bomb explosion near a reproductive health clinic in California, authorities have said.

The incident took place in Palm Springs, a city two hours east of Los Angeles, and is being investigated as a possible car explosion.

The city’s mayor Ron DeHarte said one person died in the blast, adding that the bomb was “either in or near” a vehicle. The deceased’s identity is not known, Palm Springs police said.

Dr Maher Abdallah, who runs the American Reproductive Centers clinic, told the Associated Press his facility was damaged but all staff were safe and accounted for.

The explosion damaged the office space where the practice conducts patient consultations, but the IVF lab and stored embryos were unharmed, he added.

“I really have no clue what happened,” he said. “Thank God today happened to be a day that we have no patients.”

Debris covers the ground after an explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif.  (ABC7 Los Angeles via AP)
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Debris covers the ground after the explosion. Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP

In a statement posted on Facebook the clinic said it was “heartbroken” to learn someone died in the explosion and added: “Our deepest condolences go out to the individuals and families affected.”

It continued: “Our mission has always been to help build families, and in times like these, we are reminded of just how fragile and precious life is.

“In the face of this tragedy, we remain committed to creating hope – because we believe that healing begins with community, compassion, and care.

The clinic will be fully operational on Monday, it added.

“This moment has shaken us – but it has not stopped us. We will continue to serve with strength, love, and the hope that brings new life into the world,” the statement concluded.

Debris covers the ground after an explosion on Saturday, May 17, 2025 in Palm Springs, Calif.  (ABC7 Los Angeles via AP)
Image:
Pic: ABC7 Los Angeles/AP

The Palm Springs city government said in a post on Facebook that the explosion happened on North Indian Canyon Drive, near East Tachevah Drive, before 11am local time (6pm GMT).

A burned-out car can be seen in a parking lot behind the building in aerial footage.

The blast caved in the clinic’s roof and blew debris across four lanes of the road.

Another person said he was inside a cannabis dispensary nearby when he felt a massive explosion.

Nima Tabrizi said: “The building just shook, and we go outside and there’s massive cloud smoke.”

Investigators from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are travelling to the scene to help assess what happened.

California governor Gavin Newsom has been briefed on the explosion, his press office said.

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