Nigeria vs Mozambique: AFCON 2025 – team news, start time and lineups
Who: Nigeria vs MozambiqueWhat: CAF Africa Cup of NationsWhere: Fez Stadium in Fez, MoroccoWhen: Monday at 8pm (19:00 GMT)How to follow: We’ll have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 16:00 GMT in advance of our text commentary stream. Fun, flair and fragility sum up Nigeria’s ongoing campaign at AFCON 2025. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list As the tournament’s leading attacking force, Nigeria have laid down an early marker as title contenders but while the West Africans boast impressive squad depth, they still need to shore up a leaky defence. The Super Eagles have moved on swiftly from the heartbreak of missing out on the FIFA World Cup and have been flying high in Morocco on the back of a talented squad featuring Ademola Lookman, Raphael Onyedika, Victor Osimhen and Alex Iwobi. As one of only two teams to maintain a perfect group-stage record, the former champions now face Mozambique, who for the first time advanced past the group stage, for a place in the quarterfinals. Ranked 102nd in the world, Mozambique are up for a historic knockout appearance, facing the daunting task of taking on a side ranked 74 places above them. Here’s everything you need to know about Nigeria vs Mozambique: How did Nigeria reach the round of 16? The African powerhouse soared into the knockouts as the table toppers of Group C, registering victories over Tunisia, Uganda and Tanzania. Nigeria were the first team to reach the last 16 with a 100 percent record. How did Mozambique reach the round of 16? Mozambique advanced as one of the four best third-placed sides. The Mambas lost two Group F games and won one, against Gabon, which ended their 40-year wait for a victory at the continental tournament. They are making their first appearance in AFCON’s knockout stages. Advertisement Who will the winner face in the next round? The winner of the Nigeria and Mozambique match will travel to Marrakesh to face the winner of the Algeria and Democratic Republic of the Congo match in the quarterfinal on January 10. Fez Stadium has hosted all of Nigeria’s matches so far and will also be the venue for the fixture against Mozambique [Abdel Majid Bziouat/AFP] Who are Nigeria’s best players? With two goals and two assists, forward Lookman has been one of Nigeria’s standout players at the tournament. The 28-year-old was the architect of the team’s victories in their opening two games, equally influential as both a playmaker and a finisher. Rested for the final group match, Lookman is expected to come out all guns blazing against their East African opponents. Midfielder Onyedika, who scored twice in the last match, is another key contributor while Iwobi has been pulling the strings in the midfield, and striker Osimhen remains one of the most feared attackers in the competition. Who are Mozambique’s best players? Winger Geny Catamo has scored two of Mozambique’s four goals at the tournament and has been central to their historic qualification. Forward Faisal Bangal and right back Diogo Calila have also found the net. Nigeria and Mozambique form guides Nigeria: W-W-W-L-L Mozambique: L-W-L-L-D Nigeria finished the group stage with eight goals, the highest tally in the competition, while also recording the highest average possession rate (66 percent). Nigeria have won all three of their group games for the first time since 2021. Mozambique’s victory over Gabon is their only win in 18 AFCON matches (D4 L13). Mozambique are yet to keep a clean sheet at AFCON, conceding in all 18 games. Head-to-head Nigeria and Mozambique have met in five previous encounters across competitive and friendly games. Nigeria dominate the head-to-head record with four wins and a draw. When did Nigeria and Mozambique last meet? The teams last met in a friendly in Albufeira, Portugal, in October 2023 when Nigeria won 3-2. Nigeria vs Mozambique – stat attack Monday’s game will be their second meeting at AFCON. Their previous AFCON encounter came in the final group game of the 2010 edition when Nigeria ran out 3-0 winners. This is Nigeria’s 16th successive appearance in the knockout rounds, having last failed to progress beyond the group stage in 1982. Have Nigeria ever won an AFCON title? Nigeria are three-time AFCON champions, having lifted the trophy in 1980, 1994 and 2013. They also finished as runners-up five times. This is their 21st appearance at the continental championship. Advertisement Have Mozambique ever won an AFCON title? No. This is their sixth appearance at the tournament, and the 2025 edition already marks their best finish. Nigeria team news Cyriel Dessers, who is yet to feature, and Ryan Alebiosu, who made his debut in the previous game, are both ruled out through injury. Their absence is unlikely to have a major impact because neither is a regular starter. Coach Eric Chelle could retain Onyedika in midfield after his brace in the last game, which earned him the player of the match award. Nigeria’s predicted lineup Stanley Nwabili (goalkeeper); Bright Osayi-Samuel, Semi Ajayi, Calvin Bassey, Bruno Onyemaechi; Samuel Chukwueze, Wilfred Ndidi, Onyedika, Iwobi; Osimhen, Lookman Mozambique team news Mozambique will be without Calila, who was taken off in the last game after only 15 minutes due to an injury. Nene, who scored an own goal against Cameroon, is also injured. Mozambique’s predicted lineup Ivane Urrubal (goalkeeper); Infren Nani, Mexer, Reinildo Mandava, Bruno Langa; Guima, Manuel Kambala; Catamo, Elias Pelembe, Witi; Bangal Adblock test (Why?)
UN General Assembly president on war, vetoes and UN reform
As global crises multiply and trust in international institutions erodes, the United Nations faces growing questions about its relevance and authority. Thirty years after pledges to end hunger and reduce inequality, progress is stalling, wars are spreading, and UN Security Council vetoes are paralysing action. In this episode of Talk to Al Jazeera, UN General Assembly President Annalena Baerbock reflects on the UN’s credibility, the limits of the UNSC, and whether a more assertive UNGA can drive reform before the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals deadline. Published On 4 Jan 20264 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
LIVE: South Africa vs Cameroon – AFCON 2025
blinking-dotLive MatchLive Match, Follow the build-up, analysis and live text commentary of the game as South Africa face Cameroon in a last-16 showdown. Published On 4 Jan 20264 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Adblock test (Why?)
Jake Paul loses WBA cruiserweight ranking after loss to Anthony Joshua
Jake Paul’s defeat by Anthony Joshua in their heavyweight bout in December has seen American boxer lose his WBA ranking. Published On 3 Jan 20263 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Jake Paul has slipped out of the WBA cruiserweight rankings after the YouTuber-turned-boxer was soundly beaten by former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua last month. Paul’s jaw was broken in two places and the American needed surgery to repair the damage after Joshua’s sixth-round knockout victory in a heavyweight bout in Miami. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The event had drawn criticism ahead of the bout due to the disparity in the sheer size and experience of the boxers, while Paul spent much of the fight dancing around the ring rather than engaging Joshua. Paul (12-2, 7 KOs) had entered the WBA’s cruiserweight rankings at No 14 in July shortly after he beat 39-year-old Julio Cesar Chavez Jr by unanimous decision in Anaheim, California. He was at No 15 entering the bout against Joshua. Bosnia’s Edin Puhalo has taken Paul’s place in the top 15, having recorded his 29th career win in December. The WBA ranking announcement and changes were for the period ending December 31. Adblock test (Why?)
Indonesia hire former Canada coach Herdman to replace Kluivert
Former Canada coach John Herdman replaces Patrick Kluivert as Indonesia coach after failure to reach 2026 World Cup. Published On 3 Jan 20263 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Indonesia has hired former Canada coach John Herdman to lead the men’s national team after it failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The 50-year-old Englishman replaces Patrick Kluivert, who left as coach in October. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list The Indonesian football federation said Saturday that Herdman is “not just a coach, but a football architect with a strong track record of taking teams to the World Cup”. Herdman led Canada to the 2022 World Cup after leading the women’s team to the 2015 Women’s World Cup. Indonesia, which gained independence in 1945, has not reached the World Cup since the 1938 tournament, when it was the Dutch East Indies. Herdman received a written admonishment following a Canada Soccer disciplinary committee hearing that was triggered by a drone-spying scandal at the Paris Olympics. Domestic media reported that he signed a two-year contract with an option for two more years. Herdman left his job as head coach of MLS team Toronto FC in 2024. His first task is to prepare Indonesia for the 2027 Asian Cup that will take place in Saudi Arabia. Adblock test (Why?)
US lawmakers react to attack on Venezuela, ‘capture’ of Nicolas Maduro
The United States’s attack on Venezuela and the purported “capture” of President Nicolas Maduro have drawn heated reactions in Washington, DC, amid months of mounting tensions between the two countries. Democratic lawmakers have largely condemned US President Donald Trump’s actions on Saturday against the South American country and its leader, saying they violate international law and lack necessary Congressional approval. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Members of Trump’s Republican Party, meanwhile, have defended the attacks as part of the administration’s push to stem drug trafficking into the US. Here’s a look at some of the reactions from US lawmakers. Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib “Trump’s illegal and unprovoked bombing of Venezuela and kidnapping of its president are grave violations of international law and the U.S. Constitution. These are the actions of a rogue state,” Tlaib wrote on social media. “The American people do not want another regime change war abroad.” Democratic Senator Andy Kim The Democratic senator accused US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of lying when they told lawmakers during a Senate briefing last month that the US pressure campaign against Venezuela was not about regime change. “I didn’t trust them then and we see now that they blatantly lied to Congress,” Kim wrote on X. “Trump rejected our Constitutionally required approval process for armed conflict because the Administration knows the American people overwhelmingly reject risks pulling our nation into another war.” Advertisement He added that the US strike “doesn’t represent strength” and is not “sound foreign policy”. “It puts Americans at risk in Venezuela and the region, and it sends a horrible and disturbing signal to other powerful leaders across the globe that targeting a head of state is an acceptable policy for the U.S. government.” Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum McCollum, the ranking Democrat on the US House Appropriations Subcommittee on Defense, called on Trump to immediately halt US strikes against Venezuela. “The actions taken today by the Trump administration are blatantly illegal,” she said in a statement. “Venezuela poses no imminent national security threat to the United States and Congress has not voted to authorize any use of force in the region.” She urged Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson to call the House of Representatives back into session immediately “to rein in this out-of-control President”. Democratic Senator Reuben Gallego “This war is illegal, it’s embarrassing that we went from the world cop to the world bully in less than one year. There is no reason for us to be at war with Venezuela,” Gallego wrote on X. Democratic Congressman Jim McGovern McGovern also raised questions about the lack of Congressional oversight, saying that “without authorization from Congress, and with the vast majority of Americans opposed to military action, Trump just launched an unjustified, illegal strike on Venezuela.” “He says we don’t have enough money for healthcare for Americans—but somehow we have unlimited funds for war??” the Democratic lawmaker wrote on X. Republican Senator Tom Cotton Cotton, a top Trump ally in Congress, hailed the US president as well as US troops and law enforcement officers for an “incredible operation”. “Nicolas Maduro wasn’t just an illegitimate dictator; he also ran a vast drug-trafficking operation. That’s why he was indicted in U.S. court nearly six years ago for drug trafficking and narco-terrorism,” Cotton wrote on X. He said he spoke with Rubio, the US secretary of state, who confirmed that Maduro was in US custody and “will face justice for his crimes against our citizens”. Cotton then appeared to threaten the interim government in Venezuela, saying it needed to “decide whether to continue the drug trafficking and colluding with adversaries like Iran and Cuba or whether to act like a normal nation and return to the civilized world”. “I urge them to choose wisely,” Cotton wrote. Republican Senator Mike Lee Lee, who had been critical of the Trump administration’s pressure campaign against Venezuela, said Rubio told him that Maduro had been arrested “to stand trial on criminal charges” in the US. Advertisement Lee also wrote on social media that Rubio told him the US military action in Venezuela “was deployed to protect and defend those executing the arrest warrant”. “This action likely falls within the president’s inherent authority under Article II of the Constitution to protect U.S. personnel from an actual or imminent attack,” Lee said in a post on X. Republican Senator Rick Scott The Florida senator said “the strikes against and capture of narco-terrorist Nicolas Maduro” were conducted “with a level of professionalism and precision”. He said they also send a message to the world that Trump “is a man of his word, and the United States will not tolerate terrorists.” “Maduro was indicted in a U.S. Court and was told to stop sending drugs into our country to kill our kids and grandkids, but he refused. This is peace through strength on full display. Today, America and the world are a safer place,” Scott wrote on X. US Vice President JD Vance Vance said that the operation to “capture” Maduro shows that Trump “means what he says”. “The president offered multiple off ramps, but was very clear throughout this process: the drug trafficking must stop, and the stolen oil must be returned to the United States,” Vance said on social media. Before Saturday’s attacks, senior Trump administration officials had said Venezuela’s oil belongs to Washington, falsely describing the nationalisation of the South American country’s petroleum industry as “theft”. In his X post, Vance also addressed the experts, world leaders and US lawmakers who have denounced the administration’s actions against Venezuela as illegal. “And PSA for everyone saying this was ‘illegal’: Maduro has multiple indictments in the United States for narcoterrorism. You don’t get to avoid justice for drug trafficking in the United States because you live in a palace in Caracas,” the US vice president said. Adblock test (Why?)
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 1,409
These are the key developments from day 1,409 of Russia’s war on Ukraine. Published On 2 Jan 20262 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Here is where things stand on Saturday, January 3: Fighting Two people were killed, including a three-year-old child, and at least 31 people were wounded in a Russian ballistic missile attack on a five-storey residential building in the centre of Ukraine’s Kharkiv, the region’s governor Oleh Syniehubov wrote on Telegram. Russia’s Ministry of Defence denied responsibility for the attack, claiming it was caused by the detonation of Ukrainian ammunition and was meant as a distraction from a deadly attack the day before on the village of Khorly, in a Russian-occupied part of the Kherson region. The death toll from the drone strike on a hotel and cafe in Khorly rose to 28 people, the region’s Russian-installed governor, Vladimir Saldo, told Russia’s state-run TASS news agency. Saldo also said that more than 60 people were injured in the attack. Ukraine has responded to the strike by saying it does not target civilians. Ukraine’s Deputy Prime Minister Oleksii Kuleba said in a post on Facebook that Ukrainian authorities have decided to evacuate more than 3,000 children, along with their parents, from 44 front-line settlements in Ukraine’s Zaporizhia and Dnipropetrovsk regions due to Russian aggression. A Ukrainian attack on the electricity grid in the Russian-occupied Zaporizhia region of Ukraine left 1,777 households without power, Russian-installed regional governor, Yevgeniy Balitsky, wrote on Telegram. Russian forces shot down 64 Ukrainian drones overnight into Friday, Russia’s Defence Ministry said, according to TASS. Ukrainian monitoring site DeepState reported Russian forces seized more land in the Myrnohrad and Pokrovsk areas of Ukraine’s Donetsk region, as well as in Svitle in the Ternopil region. The Russian army captured more than 5,600 square kilometres (2,160 square miles), or nearly 1 percent, of Ukrainian territory in 2025, according to an analysis of data from the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), which works with the Critical Threats Project. According to the AFP news agency, the land seized by Russian forces last year was more than in the previous two years combined, but less than the 60,000sq km (23,166sq miles) Russia took in 2022, the first year of its all-out invasion. Advertisement Politics and diplomacy Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy named Ukraine’s military intelligence chief Kyrylo Budanov as his presidential chief of staff on Friday, in the latest Ukrainian leadership shake-up. Zelenskyy also nominated Mykhailo Fedorov, a drone and digitalisation specialist who has served as first deputy prime minister and minister of digital transformation, as defence minister. Fedorov, whose appointment must be approved by parliament, will replace Denys Shmyhal, a former prime minister who was being offered a new government post. RecepTayyip Erdogan, the president of Turkiye, told reporters in Istanbul that he would hold a phone call with United States President Donald Trump on Monday to discuss peace efforts. Turkiye has been hosting intermittent peace talks during Russia’s war on Ukraine. Erdogan also said Turkiye’s Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan will attend a meeting of the “coalition of the willing”, a group of nations backing Ukraine, in Paris, in the coming days. Adblock test (Why?)
Iran urges UN to respond to Trump’s ‘reckless’ threats over protests
Letter to UN chief, UNSC comes after Trump says US will intervene if Tehran violently suppresses protests. Published On 3 Jan 20263 Jan 2026 Click here to share on social media share2 Share Iran’s United Nations ambassador Amir Saeed Iravani has written to the UN secretary-general and the president of the UN Security Council (UNSC), urging them to condemn “unlawful threats” towards Tehran from United States President Donald Trump amid ongoing protests in the country. The letter sent on Friday came hours after Trump said the US was “locked and loaded and ready to go” if any more protesters were killed in the ongoing demonstrations in Iran over the cost of living. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list Iravani called on UN chief Antonio Guterres and members of the UNSC to “unequivocally and firmly condemn” Trump’s “reckless and provocative statements”, describing them as a “serious violation” of the UN Charter and international law. “Any attempt to incite, encourage or legitimise internal unrest as a pretext for external pressure or military intervention is a gross violation of the sovereignty, political independence and territorial integrity of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Iravani said in the letter, which was published in full by the IRNA state news agency. The letter added that Iran’s government “reiterates its inherent right to defend its sovereignty” and that it will “exercise its rights in a decisive and proportionate manner”. “The United States of America bears full responsibility for any consequences arising from these illegal threats and any subsequent escalation of tensions,” Iravani added. IRNA reported earlier that protests continued across Iran on Friday, with people gathering in Qom, Marvdasht, Yasuj, Mashhad, and Hamedan as well as in the Tehran neighbourhoods of Tehranpars and Khak Sefid. Advertisement The protests have swept across the country after shopkeepers in Iran’s capital Tehran went on strike on Sunday over high prices and economic stagnation. At least nine people had been killed and 44 arrested in the unrest. The deputy governor of Qom province on Friday said that another person had died after a grenade exploded in his hand, in what the governor said was an attempt to incite unrest. In his post on Truth Social, Trump said that if Iran “violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue”. Ali Larijani, secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, shot back that US interference “is equivalent to chaos across the entire region and the destruction of American interests”. Iran’s economic woes, including a collapsing currency and high inflation rates, follow years of severe drought in Tehran, a city with a population of some 10 million people, compounding multiple ongoing crises. Iranian leaders have struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone in response, with President Masoud Pezeshkian saying the government is at “fault” for the situation and promising to find solutions. Observers have noted the response is markedly different from the harsh reaction to past protests in the country. The United States bombed three Iranian nuclear sites in June this year during a 12-day escalation between Israel and Iran. Trump described the operation as a “very successful attack”. Last week, during a news conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Trump said the US will “knock the hell out” of Iran if it advances its nuclear programme or ballistic weapons programme. The statement came amid an Israeli push to resume attacks on Iran. Pezeshkian has pledged a “severe” response to any aggression. Adblock test (Why?)
UN chief Guterres calls on Israel to reverse NGO ban in Gaza, West Bank
Guterres says pending ban targets groups ‘indispensable to life-saving’ work, undermines ceasefire progress. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called on Israel to reverse a pending ban on 37 nongovernmental organisations (NGOs) working in Gaza and the occupied West Bank. In a statement on Friday, Guterres called the work of the groups “indispensable to life-saving humanitarian work”, according to spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. He added that the “suspension risks undermining the fragile progress made during the ceasefire”. Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of list Israel banned the humanitarian groups for failing to meet new registration rules requiring aid groups working in the occupied territory to provide “detailed information on their staff members, funding and operations”. It has pledged to enforce the ban starting March 1. Experts have denounced the requirements as arbitrary and in violation of humanitarian principles. Aid groups have said that providing personal information about their Palestinian employees to Israel could put them at risk. The targeted groups include several country chapters of Doctors Without Borders (known by its French acronym, MSF), the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the International Rescue Committee. To date, Israel has killed about 500 aid workers and volunteers in Gaza throughout its genocidal war. All told, at least 71,271 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza since October 7, 2023. In his statement, Guterres said the NGO ban “comes on top of earlier restrictions that have already delayed critical food, medical, hygiene and shelter supplies from entering Gaza”. “This recent action will further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis facing Palestinians,” he said. Advertisement Nearly all of Gaza’s population has been displaced throughout the war, with many still living in tents and temporary shelters. Israel had maintained severe restrictions on aid entering the enclave prior to a ceasefire going into effect in October. Under the deal, Israel was meant to provide unhindered aid access. But humanitarian groups have said Israel has continued to prevent adequate aid flow. Ongoing restrictions include materials that could be used to provide better shelter and protection from flooding amid devastating winter storms, according to the UN. Earlier on Friday, the foreign ministers of Qatar, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia warned that “deteriorating” conditions threatened to take even more lives in Gaza. “Flooded camps, damaged tents, the collapse of damaged buildings, and exposure to cold temperatures coupled with malnutrition, have significantly heightened risks to civilian lives,” they said in a statement. They called on the international community “to pressure Israel, as the occupying power, to immediately lift constraints on the entry and distribution of essential supplies including tents, shelter materials, medical assistance, clean water, fuel, and sanitation support”. Adblock test (Why?)
‘We will not wait’: Mamdani kicks off housing plans after inaugural party
New York, United States – Sprawling crowds, a seven-block-long party and chants to “tax the rich” in the world’s wealthiest city marked Zohran Mamdani’s public inauguration as New York City mayor on Thursday, as the metropolis welcomed a new year with a new leadership. Political inaugurations are usually more stolid affairs. But, as he had in his campaign for the mayoralty, Mamdani flipped the script with his swearing-in events. Recommended Stories list of 4 itemsend of list In act one, just after midnight, as the ball dropped in Times Square to ring in 2026, Mamdani took the oath of office in a small ceremony on the steps of the landmark New York City Hall subway station. New York State Attorney General Letitia James administered the oath as Mamdani stood beside his wife, Rama Duwaji, on a staircase inside the transit hub, which has not been used for passenger service since 1945. He used a historic Quran borrowed from the New York Public Library for his swearing in, and a second one that belonged to his grandfather. The public celebration arrived later, on New Year’s Day, when Mamdani repeated the oath on the steps of City Hall before a crowd that spilled across the surrounding plaza and into the streets. Despite the blistering cold, tens of thousands of supporters streamed into Lower Manhattan to watch the new mayor – along with the city’s comptroller, Mark Levine, and Public Advocate Jumaane Williams – formally assume office. National political heavyweights, including Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, flanked the city’s new leadership and delivered speeches outlining the progressive movement’s governing ambitions in New York and the national reverberations the race has already sent to lawmakers across the country. Advertisement “The most important lesson that can be learned today is that when working people stand, when they don’t let them [the ultra-wealthy] divide us up, there is nothing that we cannot accomplish,” Sanders said before swearing in Mamdani. While guests and the press gathered inside the City Hall grounds, the city staged a seven-block-long public block party – a new twist on the traditionally ticketed inauguration format. In addition to a closed event capped at a few thousand attendees, anyone willing to RSVP and endure the frigid air and blustering winds after a night of snowfall could try their luck at getting in. And many did, bundled New Yorkers shuffled through security checkpoints, hoping to glimpse the swearing-in of a 34-year-old democratic socialist now charged with running the largest city in the United States, streaming on large monitors stationed throughout the surrounding area outside City Hall. Some supporters told Al Jazeera they waited in line for hours, and many never made it through the checkpoints in time. While crowds cheered and horns blasted in solidarity from a distance, a handful of protesters lingered behind police barricades. The block party in and of itself was symbolic in its effort to reach more New Yorkers who have normally been left out of the political process, Democratic strategist Nomiki Konst told Al Jazeera. “It was a way of opening up something that hasn’t been accessible for anybody, you know, that wasn’t part of the inner circle of New York politics and media,” Konst told Al Jazeera. “It was an opportunity to give back to the people who helped him get into office.” New Yorkers gathered in a first-of-its-kind inauguration open to the general public [Andy Hirschfeld] A message of unity and affordability Mamdani, Williams and Levine spoke about unity for all New Yorkers, delivering remarks in English, Spanish, Hebrew and Greek, and appearing alongside faith leaders of several different faiths, including Islam, Christianity and Judaism. “We have three swearings-in. One by a leader using a Quran, one by a leader using a Christian Bible, and one using a Hebrew Bible. I am proud to live in a city where this is possible,” Levine said after taking the oath of office. Mamdani echoed that sentiment. “We will draw this city closer together. We will replace the frigidity of rugged individualism with the warmth of collectivism. If our campaign demonstrated that the people of New York yearn for solidarity, then let this government foster it,” Mamdani said in his address. Advertisement “We will deliver nothing less as we work each day to make this city belong to more of its people than it did the day before.” But the core message, voiced repeatedly by Mamdani, Levine, Williams, Sanders and Ocasio-Cortez, was the same one that defined the campaign: that the ultra wealthy should pay higher taxes. “Demanding that the wealthy and large corporations start paying their fair share of taxes is not radical. It is exactly the right thing to do,” Sanders said, as supporters chanted, “Tax the rich.” One of Mamdani’s core promises was to raise the corporate tax rate in New York City from 7.25 percent to 11.5 percent, equivalent to that of neighbouring New Jersey, as well as a 2 percent increase in taxes on those who make more than $1m a year. Any tax plan would need the approval of the governor to move forward. “This movement came out of eight-and-a-half million somewheres – taxi cab depots and Amazon warehouses, DSA [Democratic Socialists of America] meetings and curbside domino games. The powers that be had looked away from these places for quite some time – if they’d known about them at all – so they dismissed them as nowhere. But in our city, where every corner of these five boroughs holds power, there is no nowhere and there is no no one,” Mamdani said. Housing policy has been central to that affordability message for Mamdani. One of his signature campaign promises was to freeze the rent on the city’s rental stabilised apartments, which represent about half of the city’s rental housing stock. “Those in rent-stabilised homes will no longer dread the latest rent hike – because we will freeze the rent,” Mamdani said in his remarks. Only hours later, Mamdani introduced