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Joe Biden gave a fiery, unabashedly political speech to Congress, vowing to fight for “democracy and freedom” in the United States and around the world, in which he took on Donald Trump and Republican critics contest to defend his re-election.

In a speech that lasted more than an hour, the US president did not mention Trump by name but repeatedly attacked his “predecessor” for being too tolerant of Russia, blocking a bipartisan agreement to curb immigration and paving the way for strict abortion restrictions across the United States. Leveled the road. nation.

Biden has also laid out second-term plans that include populist measures such as raising taxes on big corporations and the wealthy, and vowed to drive down housing prices and cut drug costs while praising the United States as the world's most envied economy.

The speech was delivered forcefully and loudly and included several impromptu interactions with Republican lawmakers amid criticism that he is too old for re-election.

Biden began by saying that freedom and democracy were “under attack simultaneously at home and abroad” and called on Congress to “stand up to Russian President Vladimir Putin” and approve more funding for Kyiv.

“If there's anyone in this room who thinks Putin is going to stop in Ukraine, I guarantee you, he's not,” Biden said. Read full article.

Here's what I'm focusing on today and over the weekend:

• Economic data: The EU releases revised fourth-quarter GDP and euro zone employment data today, while Germany publishes industrial production data for January.

• Corporate profit: British publishers Informa and Royal London Insurance announced full-year results today.

• African Games: The 13th edition of the Games kicks off in Ghana today, with sporting events set to take place in Accra, Kumasi and Cape Coast.

• Oscar prize: The 96th Academy Awards will be held in Hollywood on Sunday.

• Daylight saving time begins: On Sunday, clocks in the United States move forward one hour.

• International Women's Day: To mark the occasion, the Financial Times will host a free one-hour digital event at 12:30pm GMT, where leading campaigners will discuss the impact of childcare costs on women's finances, careers and future earning potential Influence. Click here to register.

How are you keeping up with the news this week? Take our quiz.

Five more popular stories

1. Instagram had more new app downloads than TikTok last year. According to market intelligence company Sensor Tower. Instagram downloads jumped 20% to 768 million, while TikTok grew only 4% to 733 million. The Meta photo-sharing platform's growth has been driven largely by copying its Chinese rival's success in short-form videos, after Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg identified TikTok as one of the biggest threats to his social media empire.

2. An influential committee of MPs finds “shocking” levels of misconduct in UK financial services industry and heard employers were still “abusing” confidentiality agreements to “cover up” claims of abuse, harassment and discrimination. The House of Commons Treasury Select Committee has called for a ban on the use of confidentiality agreements in sexual harassment cases. Find out more about the Commission's investigation into gender discrimination in the industry.

3. Ireland is voting today on a constitutional amendment to remove language that says a woman's “life” and “responsibility” lies within the family. Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said the referendum could remove “some very outdated, very sexist language” written mainly by men born in the 1800s. The proposals would remove references to women's “domestic life” and change the definition of family, but polls show many voters are undecided.

4. The UK has no “credible plan” to deliver the military capabilities it seeks over the next 10 years, That's according to a cross-party group of MPs. The MoD faces a £17bn deficit in its army equipment plans over the next decade, the committee said, warning that the figure could rise by a further £12bn – a shortfall they said left the country in an “unforgettable” position. A situation of worry.”

5. UK asset manager Jupiter is considering selling £1bn of assets in its own funds One of its star managers is leaving the company. David Lewis, manager of Jupiter's Merlin range, which invests in other funds, said the firm was considering withdrawing the money from Ben Whitmore's mandate when he leaves the firm later this year funds.

personal finance

After Chancellor Jeremy Hunt introduced changes to the UK's tax and investment regime this week, many Britons are asking: Will the budget make me better off? Homeowners looking to sell their second home, middle-income earners with children, investors with £5,000 to spare and people who have moved overseas for at least ten years are among the beneficiaries. But pensioners, furnished holiday home owners, “non-locals” and the wealthy will all see their finances take a hit.

We are also reading. . .

Chart of the day

More than 7,300 watches with a total value of £44 million were reported stolen to London's Metropolitan Police last year, up from 6,015 in 2022, according to crime prevention database Watch Register. The relative ease of theft of luxury watches, coupled with a recent boom in the second-hand market, has fueled a wave of luxury watch crime that is hitting the UK capital's image, with shadow foreign secretary David Lammy being targeted by business elite during a trip lashed out. A lawsuit has been filed in India over the Rolex robbery in Mayfair and the alleged lack of police response.

Take a break from the news

Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and giant sandworms return Dune: Part 2. Financial Times critic Danny Leigh writes that Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi sequel is now well-paced, full of Machiavellian intrigue, sticky romance and fighting hatred.

Additional contributions come from benjamin william

Correction: Yesterday FirstFT misstated the size of Brookfield's assets under management.Should be over $900 billion, not $900 million