Watch: Jokes and jabs at his rival - how Biden went on the attack
By Anthony Zurcher
North America correspondent
President Joe Biden delivered a fiery State of the Union address on Thursday, taking repeated swipes at Donald Trump and covering the broad themes of his re-election campaign.
Mr Biden used the term "my predecessor" to refer to Mr Trump 13 times in a speech that lasted more than an hour.
He accused his likely election opponent of "bowing down" to Russia and criticised him over the Capitol riot.
Mr Biden also covered immigration, abortion, the economy and Gaza.
The atmosphere in the House chamber was raucous at times, with loud cheering from Democrats and heckling from some Republicans.

• The young Republican who gave rebuttal speech

It was a spectacle more typical of a political convention than a State of the Union address - a constitutionally mandated report that is usually heavy on pageantry and policy.
But this is an election year and the stakes for Mr Biden were high. He was feisty and confrontational as he sought to draw the battle lines for his nascent campaign.

Taking aim at Trump

Unsurprisingly, many of his barbs were aimed at Mr Trump given he is almost certain to be his opponent in November's general election.
"My predecessor failed the most basic duty any president owes the American people - the duty to care," he said in reference to Mr Trump's handling of the Covid pandemic. "That is unforgivable."
He criticised Mr Trump for his recent comments about Russia and Nato, and said that he sought to "bury the truth" about the 6 January 2021 attack on the US Capitol.
He blamed him for the Supreme Court decision to overturn the Roe v Wade ruling which guaranteed abortion rights and for blocking bipartisan immigration reforms.
Mr Trump, meanwhile, had promised to react in real time to the speech on his Truth Social platform. "Biden is on the run from his record and lying like crazy to try to escape accountability for the horrific devastation he and his party have created," he wrote.
"They continue the very policies that are causing this horror show to go," he said.

Media caption,

Alabama Senator Katie Britt started the Republican response with a jab at the president's age
Mr Biden's aggressive approach on Thursday may have been born, at least in part, out of necessity. At 81, he is the oldest president in US history and has been beset by questions about his age and mental acuity.
His approval ratings are the lowest of any modern president seeking re-election. He is in a statistical dead heat with Mr Trump, however, who also is viewed negatively by voters.
Even when Mr Biden addressed his age, he did so with a jab at Mr Trump, who at 77 is only a few years younger than him.
"I know it may not look like it, but I've been around for a while," he said. After rattling off a list of positive attributes he said defined America, he added a kicker.
"Some other people my age see a different story: an American story of resentment, revenge and retribution."

A punchy exchange on immigration

Mr Biden regularly ad-libbed responses to what was at times a hostile audience on the Republican side of the chamber. He quipped, parried and expressed mock surprise at their outbursts.
When the topic turned to immigration, a subject of political vulnerability for the president, he was once again ready to engage. But here, he stumbled.
After Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene accused him of ignoring the murder of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, allegedly by an undocumented Venezuelan immigrant, Mr Biden held up a button with her name on it - one Ms Greene had given him as he walked in.

Media caption,

Watch: "Say her name, Mr President" - Marjorie Taylor Greene interrupts the speech
After seemingly mispronouncing her name as "Lincoln" Riley, he said she was murdered by an "illegal" - a term criticised by immigrant-rights groups.
Mr Biden went on to call for Republicans to support the bipartisan immigration legislation passed by the Senate and accused Mr Trump of "playing politics" by opposing the bill for electoral gain. The damage, however, may have been done.

• Three reasons why US border crossings at record high

A sales pitch for November

When Mr Biden wasn't throwing haymakers at his opponent, he sought to highlight what he characterised as a record of accomplishment during his first term and outline a sales pitch for his re-election.
"I inherited an economy that was on the brink," he said, "and now our economy is the envy of the world."
Figures on the American economy have been trending up for months now. The public perception of the economy, however, has been much darker.
Mr Biden nodded at this split, calling the US economic revival "the greatest story never told".

• Why US economy is powering ahead of Europe's

Whether the president's words will be enough to change minds, however, remains to be seen.
It was a speech geared toward the American middle class - the voters of moderate means who make up the bulk of the electorate.
It included a variety of new proposals, most of which would require congressional legislation to enact - an unlikely scenario unless Democrats retake the House of Representatives in November.
He pitched a tax credit for new home buyers, who have seen their purchasing power eroded by higher mortgage rates. He also called for expanding a cap on prescription drug spending to every American who has health insurance and raising taxes on corporations.

Walking the line on Gaza

Mr Biden opened his speech with a call for military aid to Ukraine, but the bulk of his discussion of foreign policy came towards the end when he turned his attention to the Middle East.
The Gaza war has divided Democrats, with a vocal portion of the president's liberal flank calling for the US to use every means at its disposal to push for a ceasefire. Some took to the Washington streets on Thursday evening in an unsuccessful attempt to block the president's motorcade from reaching the Capitol.
Mr Biden said his administration was working towards a ceasefire that would last "at least 6 weeks," and he detailed a new plan - announced earlier in the day - for the US to construct a temporary seaport in Gaza to allow humanitarian aid to enter by ship.

• US to set up temporary port on Gaza coast for aid delivery

He had some harsh words for Israel, calling the civilian casualties in Gaza "heartbreaking" and saying it had a "fundamental responsibility" to protect innocent lives.
Mr Biden's speech, because it was delivered without any significant stumbles or gaffes, is a hurdle cleared for the president - and its content could serve as a guide to how his campaign plans to sell the American public on another four years of Democratic governance.
At the very least, it will probably convince nervous Democrats that their presumptive nominee is ready to go toe-to-toe with his Republican opponent in November.

More on the US election

• Explained: A simple guide to the US 2024 election
• Analysis: Where Biden v Trump will be won and lost
• Policies: What a Trump second term would look like
• Economy: Voters feel better - will that help Biden?
• Recap: The Trump life story to date

Who is Katie Britt, the Republican who gave State of the Union rebuttal?

Alabama Senator Katie Britt started the Republican response with a jab at the president's age
By Matt Murphy
BBC News, Washington
Alabama's Katie Britt, the youngest woman representing the Republicans in the US Senate, has given her party's response to President Joe Biden's third State of the Union address.
Sat at her kitchen table, she accused the president of being out of touch and painted a dark picture of the US under his watch.
"Right now, the American Dream has turned into a nightmare for so many families," she said.
The rebuttal - first delivered in 1966 - is often given by rising stars in the opposition party.
Ms Britt, 42, echoed popular Republican attack lines in her 17-minute speech, hitting Mr Biden hard on the border crisis and inflation.
Some commentators have suggested she is the type of conservative that the party hopes could win back voters alienated by Mr Trump.
She has avoided isolationist tendencies in her party and emerged as a hawkish figure on national security.

• Biden draws election battle lines in fiery speech
• What it takes to write a speech for the president

After earning a law degree at the University of Alabama, she served variously as press secretary, communications director and chief of staff to Alabama Senator Richard Shelby.
In 2018, she was elected as the first woman to lead her state's business council, where she became associated with the Keep Alabama Open campaign during the Covid-19 pandemic. The role elevated her profile within the state, and her resignation in 2021 prompted speculation - proven correct - about her intention to seek the Senate seat of her outgoing mentor, Sen Shelly.
She was elected in 2022 after easily seeing off her main opponent for the Republican nomination, Mo Brooks - a state representative at the time and a long-time adversary of Mr Trump's - before sweeping away her Democratic rival in the general election.

Media caption,

Watch: Jokes and jabs at his rival - how Biden went on the attack
Since her arrival in Washington DC, Ms Britt has taken a position on the powerful Senate appropriations committee and worked as a key fundraiser for more senior colleagues.
Among Democrats, she has won some approval by working on a bipartisan bill prohibiting children under 13 from using social media and visiting John Fetterman when the Pennsylvania senator checked into hospital to seek treatment for depression.
Thursday's speech has elevated her profile to the national stage and it won the approval of Donald Trump.
"She was compassionate and caring, especially concerning Women and Women's Issues. Her conversation on Migrant Crime was powerful and insightful. Great job Katie!" he wrote on Truth Social, his own social media platform.
Some saw her speech as an audition for a spot on Mr Trump's list of candidates for the vice-presidency. But she and the former president are not natural allies.

• What is the State of the Union speech?

She was the last member of Alabama's congressional delegation to endorse the 77-year-old in December, and observers note that her political views have been more temperate than Mr Trump's.
In an interview with Politico last year, Ms Britt criticised - obliquely - Mr Trump's penchant for personalised attacks on his political opponents.
IMAGE SOURCE,
GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,

Unlike some fellow Repulican senators, like JD Vance (L), Ms Britt has avoided a close association with Donald Trump
"I really believe we have to get back to a place in this nation where you don't have to agree with someone 100% to show them respect and to be able to have a conversation and dialogue that you can learn from," she said.
Indeed, the Alabama native has been more closely aligned with outgoing Republican Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, joining his leadership group as an informal adviser last year.
Mr McConnell - a veteran dealmaker in the chamber - has long been at odds with Mr Trump and his brand of politics.
Ms Britt has also become known for her hawkish views on national security, at times running up against colleagues in a party increasingly defined by American isolationism.
Nonetheless, she has remained in favour with senior members of the Senate leadership and those within Mr Trump's orbit, a difficult feat.

Dragon Ball: Japan manga creator Akira Toriyama dies

Dragon Ball is a part of many Japanese anime fans' childhood
By Fan Wang
BBC News
The creator of Dragon Ball, one of the most influential and best-selling Japanese comics of all time, has died at 68.
Akira Toriyama suffered an acute subdural hematoma, a type of bleeding near the brain, his studio said Friday.
Dragon Ball is hugely popular around the world and the comic series has also spawned cartoon and film versions.
Fans have paid tribute to Mr Toriyama for creating characters that have become a part of their childhood.
The Dragon Ball comic series debuted in 1984. It follows a boy named Son Goku in his quest to collect magical dragon balls to defend Earth against alien humanoids called Saiyans.
Mr Toriyama had uncompleted works at the time of his death.
He died on 1 March and only his family and very few friends attended his funeral, according to a statement from the Dragon Ball website.
"He would have many more things to achieve. However, he has left many manga titles and works of art to this world," his studio said.
"We hope that Akira Toriyama's unique world of creation continues to be loved by everyone for a long time to come," it added.
IMAGE SOURCE,
GETTY IMAGES
Image caption,

Akira Toriyama in a photo taken in 1984
Fans offered their sympathies on social media.
"Thank you for creating a manga that represents my youth. Rest in peace, thank you for your hard work," read a post on X, which instantly got 500 likes.
"It's too soon, it's too sad," another Japanese X user wrote.
"His legacy will live on forever. Thank you for creating the most iconic anime character of all time Akira," another user wrote.
Born in Nagoya, Japan in 1955, Mr Toriyama broke into the comic book world in the early 1980s with Dr. Slump, which tells the story of a little girl robot Arale and her scientist creator.
But Dragon Ball was his most famous work. To many fans, Son Goku's journey from a kid who fumbles his martial arts training to a high-flying hero who can shoot bolts of electricity from his hands mirrors their own struggles against self-doubt as they grew into adulthood.
Dragon Ball inspired fan fiction writers and cosplayers who style their hair like the characters' sharp and pointed locks.
The cartoon version has been dubbed in numerous languages and Dragon Ball action figures are a staple in toy stores from Japan to China and Southeast Asia.
In a 2013 interview with a Japanese newspaper Asahi, Mr Toriyama said he had "no idea" how Dragon Ball became so popular around the world.
He described the series as a miracle, "given how it helped someone like me who has twisted, difficult personalities do a decent job and get accepted by society".
"When I was drawing the series, all I ever wanted to achieve was to please boys in Japan," he said, according to news agency AFP.
You can share your memories of the Dragon Ball comic series by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
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