WASHINGTON: Democracy faces “sustained and alarming challenges” worldwide, US President Joe Biden said on Thursday at a virtual summit on democracy where he sparked controversy by pointedly not inviting China and Russia. Biden, who took office in January amid the biggest US political crisis for decades, said trends are “largely pointing in the wrong direction” and that “more than ever, democracy needs champions.” “We stand at an inflection point,” Biden said. “Will we allow the backward slide of rights and democracy to continue unchecked?” The two-day event, held by video link because of the c…

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