New Delhi:

US First Lady and wife of President Joe Biden, Jill Biden, received gifts worth thousands of dollars in 2023, including a diamond worth $20,000 (Rs 17.15 lakh) from Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his official state visit to the US in 2023. 

The 7.5-carat green lab-grown eco-friendly diamond gifted to Jill Biden reflects the “chemical and optical properties of earth-mined diamonds”. 

The diamond, gifted to Jill Biden, was placed in a box made of paper pulp, known as kar-e-kalamdani.

According to the report released by the Office of the Chief of Protocol of the United States, Mrs Biden also received a brooch valued at $14,063 from the Ukrainian ambassador to the US and a bracelet, brooch and a $4,510 photograph album from the President and First Lady of Egypt.

The US law states that any official from the executive branch, including the President, has to declare gifts they receive from foreign leaders and counterparts that are more than $480. 

The $20,000 diamond was retained for official use in the White House East Wing, according to a State Department document, while the other gifts to the president and first lady were sent to the archives, news agency AP reported citing the report.

In 2023, Prime Minister Modi visited the US on its first-ever state visit to the country, where he was hosted by outgoing President Joe Biden and Mrs Biden. As the official gift, the Prime Minister gave a handcrafted sandalwood box to President Joe Biden.

The sandalwood box gifted to President Biden contains a silver idol of Lord Ganesha, a diya (oil lamp) and ‘Das Danam’.

The Prime Minister also gifted Joe Biden a copy of the first edition print of the book ‘The Ten Principal Upanishads’. 

PM Modi received a handmade, antique American book galley from the Bidens.

The first couple also gifted him a vintage American camera, a hardcover book of American wildlife photography and a signed, first-edition copy of ‘Collected Poems of Robert Frost.

Jill Biden reached out to Melania Trump after an assassination attempt on her husband Donald Trump in Pennsylvania’s Butler City on July 13 this year. But Melania doubted whether Jill Biden’s concern was genuine because the first lady had called her husband “liar” and “evil” a few days before the call, New York Post reported.

“I do question, however, whether Jill’s concern was genuine, as a few days prior she referred to my husband as ‘evil’ and a ‘liar’,” Melania Trump said in an interview with French news outlet Paris Match before the November 5 presidential election in the US.

She added, “It was obvious that the onslaught of rhetoric from Democrat leaders and the mainstream media was so deeply embedded in our nation’s consciousness it prompted an attempt to assassinate Donald.”

Last week, Donald Trump secured another term in the White House, defeating his Democrat rival Kamala Harris. Not just Jill Biden, even the US President spoke to Donald Trump after the July 13 incident when a bullet grazed his right ear.

During the campaign, Melania remained away from the limelight and made public appearances towards the end of the election cycle following the release of a tell-all memoir.

One of her famous appearances during her husband’s third White House bid was at the Madison Square Garden rally, held a few days before the election.

She even opted out of the traditional tea between first ladies during the transition on Wednesday, while Donald Trump sat down with Joe Biden.

In a statement, Melania’s team said she won’t be attending the meeting while adding that her husband’s return to the “Oval Office to commence the transition process is encouraging, and she wishes him great success”.

Sources told the New York Post that one of the major reasons behind skipping the tea with Jill Biden was the 2022 FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago.

However, Melania has rubbished the rumours that she won’t be moving back into the White House with Donald Trump full-time in January 2025.

In the statement, her office stressed that several unnamed sources “continue to provide false, misleading, and inaccurate information.”

After her husband’s victory in 2016, Melania Trump met former first lady Michelle Obama for tea in the Yellow Room. However, she did not extend the same courtesy to Jill Biden after Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump in 2020.

New Delhi:

On Halloween evening, US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden hosted a memorable trick-or-treat event, marking the last Halloween celebration for the 81-year-old during his current term at the White House. 

Amid a festive atmosphere, Biden had a series of light-hearted interactions with young visitors, including a humorous moment where he pretended to bite the leg of a baby dressed as a chicken. All the while the iconic theme from Jaws played in the background. 

U.S. President Joe Biden bites a baby during a trick-or-treaters celebration for Halloween at the White House in Washington. Photo by @SmileItsNathan pic.twitter.com/VXzvtI3IZo

— corinne_perkins (@corinne_perkins) October 30, 2024

First Lady Jill Biden also participated in the festivities dressed as a giant panda – a nod to her earlier collaboration with the National Zoo to celebrate the return of pandas to Washington, DC. 

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden — dressed as a panda! — hand out candy for Halloween at the White House, including to Sec. of State Blinken’s kids. Theme is Hallo-read pic.twitter.com/dSrswXITT2

— Maddie Gannon (@maddiegannon3) October 30, 2024

FLOTUS also delighted the kids with a reading session, introducing the educational theme of “Hallo-Read”. Earlier in the day, she shared a spooky pumpkin story with a group of costumed kids on the White House lawn.

jill biden being fully dressed up for halloween ad a panda is actually hilarious pic.twitter.com/uSUvf6EPxq

— annika ???????????? (@theannikaj) October 31, 2024

As evening fell, the couple spent over an hour distributing goodies to up to 8,000 attendees, including local students and families with military backgrounds. President Biden, in a suit and tie, filled children’s treat bags with White House-branded Hershey’s Kisses, while the First Lady handed out copies of 10 Spooky Pumpkins. The White House grounds were decorated with festive decorations, including a large orange moon, stacks of books and cardboard cutouts of Willow, the family’s cat.

An Air Force band played spooky tunes throughout the evening. 

On Halloween, former President Donald Trump is set to visit Albuquerque, New Mexico, to appeal to Latino voters and promote his immigration policies. Despite New Mexico’s predominantly Democratic and Hispanic population, Trump aims to leverage recent Republican gains among Latino men. His visit is significant, especially following a rally in New York where inflammatory comments about Puerto Rico were made, raising tensions with Latino communities.

Trump’s campaign focuses on New Mexico’s proximity to the border and its oil and gas industry, hoping to attract conservative Latinos employed in these sectors. However, Democrats argue that his claims about energy production are misleading, as oil and gas output has increased under President Biden.

The visit will occur at a private venue after the state declined Trump’s requests for public spaces due to maintenance claims. Critics, including New Mexico Democratic spokesperson Daniel Garcia, argue that Trump’s past actions, including unpaid debts from previous campaign visits, indicate he is unlikely to succeed in swaying voters in the state.

Washington:

Ever present by the US president’s side after his calamitous debate — and foursquare behind him as he vowed to fight on in his reelection bid — First Lady Jill Biden has been fighting her husband’s battles from the front lines.

“I think she is as influential as pundits are claiming and her opinion likely matters more to him than anyone else’s,” said Tammy Vigil, a professor of communications at Boston University.

“Without her support, it would be impossible for him to continue in the race.”

The 73-year-old community college professor was making headlines of her own on Monday, as Vogue unveiled the cover of its August issue — with the first lady looking seraphic in a long white tuxedo gown by Ralph Lauren.

The picture and the article date from April, long before President Joe Biden struggled to make himself understood during a halting, unfocused performance at a CNN debate against Republican rival Donald Trump.

But in a note introducing the article, the magazine’s editors revealed they’d had a telephone conversation with the first lady shortly after the debate, as calls mounted for her 81-year-old husband to withdraw his candidacy.

‘The right person’ 

She told Vogue the Biden family “will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president.”

The woman who has shared her last 47 years with the Democratic leader also told a weekend meeting of donors: “Joe isn’t just the right person for the job. He’s the only person for the job.”

On Thursday, after the debate, Jill Biden was shown taking her husband’s arm to help him down a few steps in the CNN studio.

The following day, she was there again in a dress that read “vote,” as a much more energetic Joe Biden headlined a rally in North Carolina.

Before they married in 1977, Joe Biden had been turned into a widower by a horrific car crash five years earlier that had claimed the lives of his first wife and their infant daughter. His two boys, Beau and Hunter, survived.

The family was revisited by tragedy years later as Beau, a cherished son at the start of what looked like a promising political career of his own, died of cancer.

Adding to the family’s difficulties, Hunter struggled for years with a crack addiction.

The first lady is now the center of gravity of the troubled but burgeoning clan, bolstered with the birth of Jill and Joe’s daughter Ashley a few years after their wedding — and eventually the arrival of their grandchildren.

Without her support, the Democrat would not have embarked on his quest for a second term.

When she arrived at the White House, she continued to teach English at a college near Washington, unheard of for a president’s wife.

Decorations and campaigning 

Meanwhile, she assumed the traditional role of first lady — in charge of Christmas decorations and gala dinner menus, as well as promoting pet causes — in her case, literacy.

Amid the shaky reelection campaign, Jill Biden could well encourage an outpouring of sympathy with her passionate advocacy for the president since his calamitous showdown with Trump — but also risks alienating a segment of public opinion by doing so.

“A contemporary US first lady is supposed to be the ‘not-so-secret weapon’ that helps her husband by attesting to his character and by helping raise funds, et cetera. Because of that, Jill Biden is expected to participate in the campaign,” said Vigil.

“However, there are also unstated limits to that activity that are hard to figure out until a particular line is crossed. If she is too vigorous in her support and defense of her husband, people will complain.”

The first lady has become a prime target on social media since the debate, with Trump supporters painting her as an unscrupulous manipulator.

“What Jill Biden and the Biden campaign did to Joe Biden tonight — rolling him out on stage to engage in a battle of wits while unarmed — is elder abuse, plain and simple,” Wyoming Republican Harriet Hageman posted on X after the debate.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

After a shaky debate performance on Thursday night, political analysts and several US media organisations have been calling for US President Joe Biden to drop out of the 2024 election race. Democratic leaders rallied behind Mr Biden following his poor performance last week, as the White House denied a report he was meeting with family to assess his candidacy. Now, his wife and First Lady Jill Biden has spoken about the debate and has said that they “will continue to fight”.

Talking to Vogue from Camp David where the family was spending the weekend, she told the magazine “will not let those 90 minutes define the four years he’s been president.”

She continued, “We will continue to fight,” and claimed that Mr Biden “will always do what’s best for the country.”

Notably, President Biden’s age is a particular concern with voters and there have been calls from some Democrats for him to step aside for a new candidate. Despite weak poll numbers and questions about his age, he has stuck to his plan to seek a second term.

On June 27, the 81-year-old’s performance in the presidential debate, rekindled calls for him to step away. When responding to a question about the economy posed by a CNN anchor, the POTUS, who is often observed stuttering and freezing during public events, seemed to lose his train of thought. When asked if voters felt “worse off” under his presidency, the Democrat committed yet another error.

Meanwhile, President Joe Biden said after the debate that he would defeat Republican rival Donald Trump in the presidential election, giving no sign he would consider dropping out of the race. He said, “I know I’m not a young man, to state the obvious. I don’t walk as easy as I used to, I don’t speak as smoothly as I used to, I don’t debate as well as I used to.”

“I would not be running again if I didn’t believe with all my heart and soul that I could do this job. The stakes are too high,” he said at a rally.

Washington:

US President Joe Biden and First Lady, Jill Biden, extended greetings to people of Jain faith on Mahavir Jayanti.

In a post on X, Biden stated, “Jill and I wish a joyous Mahavir Jayanti to people of the Jain faith. Today, let us continue to recognize the values Mahavir Swami embodied and celebrate by spreading love, joy, and harmony.”

Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Mahavir, who was given the name of ‘Vardhamana’ in his childhood. Lord Mahavir was born in 615 BC in a royal family.

As Vardhamana grew up, he renounced his princely status at the age of 30 and started on his spiritual journey in search of truth and enlightenment. He practiced austerities and meditated for 12 years in a forest to achieve ‘Kevala Jnana.’ He then propagated the Dharma known as Jainism.

The birth anniversary of Mahavira is celebrated with joy and excitement by the Jain community across the globe. Mahavira was the 24th Tirthankara of Jainism who spread peace and harmony through his teachings.

Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated with rituals like praying at Jain temples, processions, singing hymns adoring Lord Mahavira, fasting to purify the body and soul, charity, cultural programmes, and lectures by religious scholars and leaders.

The festival of Mahavir Jayanti is celebrated to highlight the significance of Jainism in the world, especially in India. The key teaching of ‘ahinsa parmo dharma’ or non-violence, is of great significance in the world today.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

The Bidens’ dogs grabbed headlines with their bad behavior, but “First Feline” Willow is getting a book all to herself.

First Lady Jill Biden has written a children’s story about the short-haired tabby’s journey from a farm in Pennsylvania to the White House in 2022.

With a June publication date, “Willow the White House Cat” will come out four months before President Joe Biden faces a bitter political catfight for reelection with Donald Trump.

“As Willow bounds from room to room, exploring history in her new home, she learns quickly about all of the incredible people who make the ‘People’s House’ run,” Jill Biden said in a statement through publisher Simon and Schuster.

“Making many new friends along the way, Willow’s journey gives the world a ‘cats-eye’ view of all the ins and outs of America’s most famous address.”

Willow is the last remaining presidential pet at the White House after two of the Bidens’ dogs were removed following a series of biting incidents.

Commander, a German Shepherd who arrived as a pup in 2021, was sent to live elsewhere after he bit several Secret Service agents. Another dog of the same breed, Major, went to live with family friends after similar biting incidents.

The Bidens’ beloved dog Champ died in 2021 at the age of 13.

Meanwhile, Willow herself has political chops. Like Jill Biden she hails from Pennsylvania, which will be a key battleground state in November’s election. She is named after the First Lady’s hometown, Willow Grove.

Jill Biden, 72, co-wrote the book with author Alyssa Satin Capucilli and illustrated by artist Kate Berube, the publishers said.

The White House has a long history of presidential pets — even if cats are a relative rarity — and a number of them had literary journeys.

First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Barbara Bush both wrote books about their pets.

Trump, who is aiming for a sensational White House comeback, was the first president since Andrew Jackson in the 1830s not to have pets.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

US First Lady Jill Biden tested negative for COVID-19 – three days after being tested positive for the infection, the First Lady’s office said on Thursday.

She was tested positive for Covid-19 on Monday.

“This evening, the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19. She is currently experiencing only mild symptoms. She will remain at their home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware,” her communications director Elizabeth Alexander said in a statement on September 4.

Earlier, US President Joe Biden tested negative for COVID-19 for the fourth time on Thursday evening, a White House official said.

This result came shortly before Biden’s departure from Andrew’s air base on Airforce 1 for India to attend the G20 Summit, scheduled to take place in New Delhi on September 9 and 10.

Beginning Friday, Biden has a packed schedule for three days. After he departs from the US, he will arrive in Ramstein, Germany on Friday for a brief stop-over and will arrive in New Delhi the same day.

The US President is scheduled to participate in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday, according to a White House press release.

On Saturday, Biden will participate in an official arrival and handshake with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The US President will then participate in the G20 Leaders’ Summit Session 1: “One Earth”.

Later in the day, he is slated to take part in the G20 Leaders’ Summit Session 2: “One Family” of the G20. Biden will also participate in a Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investment event. His day will wrap with a dinner and cultural program with G20 Leaders.

On Sunday, the US President will visit the Raj Ghat Memorial along with other G20 Leaders.

The US President is scheduled to travel from New Delhi to Hanoi, Vietnam on September 10.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Washington:

US First Lady Jill Biden on Monday tested positive for Covid, the White House said. President Joe Biden tested negative.

The 72-year-old first lady is experiencing “only mild symptoms,” her office said, and will remain in the couple’s home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.

Jill Biden last tested positive for Covid a year ago.

President Biden, 80, was administered a Covid test Monday evening and tested negative, the White House said, adding that he will continue regular testing and monitor for symptoms.

The United States has been experiencing a rise in Covid cases and hospitalizations in recent weeks.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)